No changes to the coronavirus master plan
Following the Federal Council’s decision on Wednesday, ETH Zurich will keep the current coronavirus master plan in place.
With exam season approaching, ETH Vice President and Crisis Management team head Ueli Weidmann is relieved by the government’s decision not to tighten measures. “We are glad that the examination session can take place as planned, and we wish students the best of luck,” says Weidmann.
Due to Federal Councillor Alain Berset’s statement to the press that remote teaching is no longer on the table, the coronavirus task force is now highly optimistic about classroom teaching going forward in the Spring Semester. Overall, the Federal Council has issued an outlook with more moderate coronavirus restrictions rather than more severe ones. However, the situation remains unstable.
The situation at ETH will largely depend on how the pandemic develops and what the Federal Council decides. With that said, there are plans to release a new master plan on 21 February due to the need to reopen buildings for the Spring Semester. ETH also expects the federal government to loosen the obligation to work from home as of 1 March.
The Crisis Management team is asking all members of the ETH community to continue exercising caution and follow the distancing and hygiene rules at all times. “Our cautious coronavirus strategy has allowed us to get through the pandemic in relatively good shape until now, without any superspreader events,” says Weidmann. “And we all want to do our part to make sure this remains the case.”