The University of Manchester has released more detailed coronavirus rules for students returning to the city this month.
After a five-month campus shutdown, staff will soon return to work, ready for thousands of students from around the world to begin and continue their studies.
Bosses say they are following advice from Universities UK and Public Health England to make sure campus is a “safe and happy environment” when students get back.
Here’s the latest guidance.
Arriving in Manchester
The University is urging those who arrive in the city to register with a GP as soon as they know their address.
This will ensure students have access to medical services, including coronavirus testing.
For those staying in university-owned accommodation, arrivals will be staggered, with each tenant given a specific move-in time and date to avoid overcrowding.
Those sharing accommodation will be considered as “bubbles” and won’t need to socially distance.
Arriving on campus
All lectures will be delivered online, but there will be some face-to-face teaching on campus in small groups.
And campus buildings will look markedly different following the return, with specific entry and exit doors.
Once students arrive at their destination, they will be asked to use hand sanitiser or wash their hands with soap and water.
There will be a ‘SafeZone’ app that students can use to ‘check-in’ when they arrive.
The app, which is free to download, supports NHS Test and Trace, and there will be further instructions available later this month.
There will be a fifteen-minute timetabling gap so students can get to where they’re going with time for frequent cleaning of rooms and buildings.
Students and staff will also be provided with two washable face coverings.
It will be compulsory to wear a mask when on campus, but the University has said everybody should still maintain a 2-metre distance from others.
Lifts will bee reserved for those that need them most, and the University has asked students to avoid touching high-contact surfaces such as door hands and lift buttons if they can.
Study spaces are available but must be booked in advance on the Library site. When students arrive at study spaces, they must sanitise shared equipment before and after use.
What to do if you or somebody you live with has coronavirus symptoms
If students or those around them develop virus symptoms, such as a high temperature, new continuous cough, or loss of smell or taste, they must self isolate. This means they cannot leave their accommodation.
Students should request a test to find out if they have the virus – and a new walk-in test centre will be opening adjacent to campus on Oxford Road.
The University has said will offer support to those who have to self isolate, and that students must let them know if they have had a positive test result.
Each subject school will have a support team in case of studies being impacted, and students in university-owned accommodation will also be asked to inform dorm advisors.
Those with the virus will be able to get help with day-to-day activities such as food shopping. Support will also be available over the phone.
Students that have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace must also stay at home.
For full information on the rules when returning to campus, visit the University of Manchester’s Welcome Week website.
