New measures at SDU to reduce the risk of infection spread

SDU's management has today (March 8) announced to all staff and students that new precautions are being implemented to reduce the risk of infection spread. The measures are intended to maintain the university's business-critical tasks, while a number of non-business-critical activities are completely / partially shut down so far until 31 March.

It is important to emphasize that the new measures at SDU are based on a precautionary principle, and we focus on timely care and on making the necessary decisions to help curb the spread of coronavirus infections in society.

The new measures are in effect until 31 March and are as follows:

• SDU's special campus structure with contiguous buildings with many employees, students and daily guests increases the risk of infection spreading. SDU's management has therefore decided to close all major assembly areas on all campuses. This applies to canteens, libraries, reading rooms, Friday bars and other similar gathering places where many staff and students move. All areas will be either locked or visibly blocked with signage. The library is opened on various digital platforms incl. mail, Skype and telephone: There will continue to be 24/7 online access to electronic journals, databases and ebooks. There is the possibility of self-service in relation to the delivery and lending of ordered books, etc. (Read more at https://www.sdu.dk/en/bib). The canteen still provides catering for meetings and events, but is closed for regular canteen sales.

 

• Service trips to international conferences are suspended for the same period for all employees. However, an exemption may be granted from the dean or the university director, but the employee in question will be placed in home quarantine for 14 days upon return. This is because of the risk that other conference attendees or other travelers you meet on their way may have been in one of the special risk areas.

 

• All business travel activities to special risk areas (Ministry of Foreign Affairs' red and orange zones, https://um.dk/) are prohibited unconditionally and without exemption, whether in the case of a conference or a meeting. If an employee travels privately in special risk areas, the employee must return home for 14 days after quarantine.

 

• All events, conferences and the like with more than 1,000 participants with scheduled meetings during this period are canceled. Events with fewer than 1,000 attendees must be approved by the dean or university director. Events are risk-assessed in relation to the number of people, density, indoor / outdoor, traveling participants from abroad and participants in risk groups (frail, elderly or chronically ill citizens). The dean / university director decides whether an event is held, postponed or canceled. Your local management can answer if you have specific questions.

 

• At the same time, we encourage all staff and students to follow the authorities' stricter recommendations regarding physical handling in daily life. This means, as yet, the focus on good hand hygiene and, as far as possible, avoiding handshakes, cheek kisses and hugs.

 

• If you feel sluggish and have symptoms of a cold, stay home by appointment with your immediate manager, regardless of whether you have been in the particular risk areas designated by the authorities. It is the responsibility of management to ensure that sick colleagues stay home.

It is important to emphasize that ordinary operation, in addition to the above mentioned sharpening, continues as usual.

You can find out where the campuses are closed here: https://sdunet.dk/en/personale/arbejdsmiljoe/coronavirus/coronavirus-lukket

More generally, please orientate yourself at https://sdunet.dk/en/corona

At the same time, the authorities have gathered all knowledge and information about new coronavirus on the site http://coronasmitte.dk/, where you can follow the latest developments.