Coronavirus pandemic: ETH Zurich tightens rules
In view of the rapid increase in the rate of COVID-19 infections, the Executive Board has responded to advice from the ETH COVID task force by tightening the measures for combating the spread of the virus at ETH Zurich. The face mask mandate will be extended further, drinks receptions and other social events are generally no longer allowed and working from home will once again become the preferred option.
The following measures will come into effect on Monday, 19 October:
Broader mask mandate
- Masks now required in all public indoor spaces, including at all student workplaces.
- No more exceptions to the mask mandate for certain buildings.
- Meetings are only allowed with masks or remote participation (or a combination of the two). This also applies to bilateral meetings such as HR meetings and consultations. Masks must still be worn when there are protective acrylic screens in place (added protection).
- The provisions of the teaching safety concept continue to apply to teaching activities.
Conduct in the workplace
- No personal contact between groups unless required due to operational procedures. This mainly relates to mealtimes and breaks.
- Members of different groups may attend meetings together when operations require, provided all applicable rules and measures are observed.
- A “group” is an organisationally discrete entity such as a professorship, a section within an administrative department, etc.
- Any ETH member showing signs of illness is obliged to stay at home until they have been symptom-free for one day. The Executive Board advises these members to go for a test, even if their symptoms are only mild.
Working from home
- Renewed emphasis on working from home: working in the office at ETH no longer the rule, should rather be restricted to operationally necessary activities. No restrictions on experimental research.
- Supervisors can require their employees’ presence in the workplace if it is necessary for internal processes or decision-making.
- Supervisors will take measures to ensure that operations can continue if quarantine measures become necessary (e.g. splitting into teams that work in rotations, shift work, etc.).
- Individual solutions should be implemented for staff who belong to a risk group (as defined by the Federal Office of Public Health) and/or who live in specific high-risk situations; supervisors will support employees in this.
Additional measures
- General ban on drinks receptions at ETH Zurich, applies to the entire ETH Zurich premises, indoors and out, including non-public areas.
- Strong recommendation not to hold Christmas dinners, no financial support for such events.
- Expectation that members of ETH Zurich conduct themselves responsibly outside the university as well.
- The Executive Board urgently recommends the SwissCovid app to all ETH members.
“We are aware that these measures seem very strict,” says Vice President Ueli Weidmann, head of the COVID task force. “But given the rapid spread of the pandemic, we want to do everything we can to contain a second wave within the university.” He stresses that ETH is still a relatively safe place. The task force knows of 83 ETH members who have tested positive for the virus to date, around half of them students. The current situation in Switzerland is nevertheless a cause of major concern for the Executive Board. “Our highest goal is to ensure that in-person teaching can continue up to end of the semester, if at all possible,” says Weidmann. An extensive closure of the university should be avoided.
Working from home whenever operationally feasible
Reducing the number of contacts: that is the simple strategy to halt the spread of the virus. “In order to limit the amount of contact– in public transport and also on campus – the Executive Board is advising staff to limit their presence on campus to operationally necessary activities only . “Anyone able and willing to work from home may do so without having to provide justification, although obviously they should first discuss this with their supervisor,” is how Weidmann explains the new rule.
Supervisors can require staff to work on site where this is necessary for operational reasons. Individual solutions should be found for staff who belong to a risk group or who live in households with vulnerable persons.
Precautionary measures
Supervisors will take measures to ensure that operations can continue if quarantine measures become necessary. The previous recommendation to interact only with your own research group or team is now a concrete rule that must always be followed unless a personal interaction is necessary for operational reasons. By way of example: staff should not mix with other teams or groups during coffee breaks or mealtimes. In this sense, the “bubble” concept, which has proven to be effective in teaching arrangements for first-year students, now applies to research groups and technical and administrative staff as well.
Wearing face masks now compulsory at student workplaces and meetings
Since the danger of the virus spreading is particularly high indoors, and because the task force has received ongoing reports that distancing rules are not being fully respected in study environments, wearing face masks is now compulsory at student workplaces as well.
Face masks must now also be worn in face-to-face meetings at ETH. Wearing a face mask should be seen as a form of additional protection: the rules of physical distancing and maximum room occupancy must still be followed closely. As more and more people work from home, however, most meetings will be conducted online once again.
Finally, wearing face masks will be compulsory in the few ETH buildings where exemptions have applied previously.
General ban on drinks receptions and an appeal not to organise Christmas meals
Introducing a general ban on drinks receptions was a tough decision for the Executive Board: “We know it’s important for many ETH members to be able to celebrate collective successes and that such events strengthen team spirit,” says Weidmann. But it is also well known that social events present the greatest risk of infection. The new ban applies not only to drinks receptions held outdoors on campus, but also in the university’s catering facilities.
Looking ahead to Christmas, the Executive Board has also thought about the many team and group social events that are so popular during the festive period in normal times. “As things stand, we urgently advise people not to organise seasonal events,” Weidmann says. The Executive Board did not go so far as introducing an actual ban, as the events are organised individually by the teams. But the Executive Board appeals to all ETH members to act responsibly. There will no longer be any funding for these events.
Install the SwissCovid app and stay home if you have symptoms
“We are going through a critical phase and ultimately a series of smaller measures will help contain the spread of the virus,” Weidmann stresses, summarising the overall strategy. “We can all play our part by being watchful even off campus and avoiding any unnecessary risks.” Another measure is to make sure the SwissCovid app is always active on your phone.
Last but not least, the rule still applies that any ETH member with virus symptoms is obliged to stay at home until they are symptom-free. The Executive Board advises these members to go for a test, even if their symptoms are only mild. If they test positive, they must follow the instructions of the contact tracer and the cantonal physicians.