Yesterday, the Dutch national authorities decided to extend the period for current coronavirus measures. They will now remain in force until Tuesday 28 April. The rule that prohibits events will remain in effect till 1 June. In the week preceding 28 April, the authorities will announce their decision for the period after.
The extension is required to control the spread of Covid-19, to protect vulnerable groups and to ensure that health care organisations and hospitals can handle the situation adequately.
UT buildings will remain closed
The guidelines from the authority are leading in our approach. The UT buildings will remain closed as they are now until at least 28 April. Employees and students will continue to work from home. Because of manageability and safety, current authorisations on your employee card to access the buildings will be withdrawn. For employees, a procedure for occasional urgent access is introduced.
There are a few exceptions on the above: our colleagues from the TechMed Centre are currently helping out their colleagues in healthcare with the additional demand that is presently coming their way. Also, in the NanoLab, limited research activities will take place that, because of their urgent character, have to proceed. In consultation with the faculties, careful consideration is currently taking place regarding any exception. Safety is an essential precondition for this.
Online education till 1 June
As we have communicated earlier, we will continue to provide online education at least till 1 June. The new announcements of the national authorities will not have any additional effect. In case government regulations would change before 1 June, we will assess what activities would still be feasible on campus.
Students who do not have the opportunity to study at home may use the Spiegel building. The ground floor of the building will be open during office hours, from 8.00 until 18.00 hours.
Working from home safely, healthy and comfortably
An extension of the period of working from home requires more attention to providing a safe, healthy and comfortable place to work. For some employees, the situation may imply that they have to discuss with their supervisor how they can continue their activities for this new period. At short notice, we hope to offer some additional support for working from home. More information on this will be published on the employee portal. The existing temporary conditions for leave and absence have been extended until 28 April.
At the moment, the barrier for interpersonal attention is perhaps somewhat higher than usual, because we do not physically meet. At the same time, it is maybe even more important that we look after each other and ourselves. Discuss issues if you feel the need to do so. Students with problems can contact their study advisor, who can support them in various ways.
More information
On www.utwente.nl/wall you will find some personal experiences shared by members of the UT community. For more detailed information on various topics, please visit www.utwente.nl/corona. If you cannot find the answer to your question there, please contact us via info@utwente.nl.
