Dear all,
Many of you will have seen recent media reports that at midnight tonight London will be moving to local COVID alert level ‘high’. This level is the middle of three new levels of restrictions – medium, high and very high – each with a different set of restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
Within this new local COVID alert level of high for London, universities across the city will continue to operate. At St George’s, our current approach to teaching and learning, including online provision alongside essential onsite, hands-on teaching, will continue.
Staff should continue following current guidance and advice on working arrangements which are already in place. A summary of these is enclosed below, and more details can be found on the coronavirus advice hub on our webpages, including information on your responsibilities and the steps the University has taken to manage the risks of Covid-19 on site.
Take care. Show care.
We all have a crucial role to play in minimising the risk of transmitting coronavirus. To play your part, below are commitments we ask you to make to take care of yourself and show care to others:
- Wash your hands with soap and water or hand gel frequently and whenever leaving any space on campus.
- Wear face coverings in all common parts of the University, including in the main foyers, The Street, common rooms, and the Library.
- Keep your distance, staying at least two metres apart from others outside your household, or, if that’s not possible in classes, offices or elsewhere, one metre apart with mitigation e.g. face coverings or screens.
- Cover coughs or sneezes using a tissue or your elbow
- Use spaces safely, following the one-way systems around campus, tapping your ID card whenever you can so there’s a record of your movements around campus and wiping desks and computers before you use them in common areas such as in the Library.
- Keep informed of any changes to guidance, checking your emails regularly for alerts from the University.
- Remind and respect others, prompting others to follow the rules to keep us all safe, but being aware that some people are exempt from requirements to wear a face covering. Do not take offence if you receive a reminder yourself.
If you feel unwell
Please be aware that you must self-isolate immediately, by staying at home:
- If you feel unwell with symptoms of coronavirus, which could include any of the following: a new, persistent cough, a temperature or a loss of taste or smell. You must arrange a test through the NHS website or by calling 119 and, if positive, continue self-isolating for at least 10 days from when the symptoms appeared.
- If you live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus and tested positive, had an unclear result or did not have a test; or who has no symptoms but a positive test result for a period of 14 days.
- If you are told to do so by NHS Test and Trace after you have been in close contact with someone who has coronavirus for a period of 14 days.
You must contact your line manager and Human Resources at hrhelp@sgul.ac.uk if you have had a positive coronavirus test or are self-isolating and provide details of dates and locations of any time you have spent on site. For more details please see the report a case webpage.
We recognise this is a very challenging and unsettling time. For emotional support, if you would like to talk confidentially to someone, the counselling service can be contacted via email or on 020 8725 3625. The Counselling Service will continue to run sessions remotely from September-December 2020.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued hard work and commitment to St George’s, University of London.
Best wishes,
Paul Ratcliffe
Chief Operating Officer
St George’s, University of London