Coronavirus

Calender week 40 / 2021

Update of 08.10.2021 for instructors - Latest Information and Changes to 3G Checks

Dear Instructors,

On September 29th, we informed you of the procedure for performing the required 3G check (to verify “vaccinated, recovered, or tested” status) before a course. Since then, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has released a new Coronavirus Protection Ordinance, which will initially in force until 30 October 2021. This new ordinance continues to call for “as comprehensive a check as possible” but it also gives institutions of higher learning the option of conducting “at least random checks” to verify 3G status.

Our concept for accessing university premises – as previously communicated – includes checking the sticker affixed to the Uni Card at central check points to lecture halls, larger seminar rooms, and building units with interconnected seminar rooms. This will remain in place as described. (Please see the additional guidance for this at the end of this email.)

For one specific situation, however, we want to implement this new regulation: instructors who have to perform the 3G check themselves (e.g. in individual classrooms with up to 35 seats) are to check all participants’ 3G status on their Uni Cards during the first session of their course. If all students have a red sticker, then you only must check the status of any new students who come to the following sessions. It may be possible to further relax the procedure for the 3G check throughout the semester, keeping in mind the occupancy of the seminar room (whether all seats are occupied or not); the composition of participants attending the course (having the same, stable cohort) and the 3G status of participants (having few participants who are only tested).

We know that some students and instructors are feeling apprehensive about returning to in-person teaching. We take your concerns seriously. Instructors should therefore perform the 3G check when in doubt and discuss the issue with students as needed.

One more important point:

In the first days of the semester, there will not be enough support staff for all the central check points. We therefore must ask that instructors take over the responsibility of performing the 3G check for individual seminar rooms. Please have a look beforehand to see if you course or room will be affected by this. An overview of the seminar rooms is available here (in German) The rooms marked in yellow will be checked with the central control staff; for the other rooms, the instructors are to perform the check themselves. We expect, however, that all central check points will be fully staffed over the course of the week.

We are also providing you with an overview of the rooms in which instructors, as a general rule, will have to perform the 3G check themselves, i.e. for which no central control points are provided (less than 35 seats): view pdf (in German).

For your reference, we have also compiled important information on the 3G check procedure in an online guide (in German).

 

We hope you have a great start to the new semester.

With kind regards,

Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, Rector

Professorin Birgit Lütje-Klose, Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching

Dr. Stephan Becker, Chancellor

Update of 08.10.2021 for employees - Information on the coronavirus rapid test offerings

Dear Colleagues,

On Monday, October 11th, 2021, Bielefeld University will be changing its Coronavirus rapid test offerings for staff members. These changes will be of particular relevance to those who are not vaccinated.

Here is an overview of the changes and regulations:

1. Previously, staff members have been able to take advantage of free testing at the campus testing center via a special registration portal. This will no longer be available.
2. Moving forward, Bielefeld University will only issue Coronavirus rapid tests for self-use at home. All employees will be offered two such tests per week.
3. Orders for rapid tests should be pooled at the divisional level (faculties, deans, institutions, departments) and orders are to be submitted via email to christian.lyko@uni-bielefeld.de. Full orders can be picked up Monday through Friday from 10am – 2pm at the Information Point in the Main University Building. The federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia has unfortunately only provided us with non-separable bulk packs of 20 tests to distribute to staff members. One pack therefore covers one person’s testing needs for 10 weeks. Please keep this in mind when placing your orders. Additional important information on storing and using rapid tests is available at https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/intern/stabsstellen/agus/.
4. The free public testing that has previously been available at the campus testing center will only be available for a fee starting on October 11th. Bielefeld University will only cover the costs for testing for staff members if the test is required for purposes connected to their employment.
5. Those who attend courses held in person must be vaccinated, recovered, or tested (3G). This also applies to teaching staff (including technical staff in laboratories as well as service staff). For staff members who are not vaccinated or recovered, personal use of self-tests is not enough. Such staff members need proof of a negative test from an official testing center. For university staff members (including student workers) who are not vaccinated or recovered, Bielefeld University will cover the costs of testing. Non-staff adjunct instructors, however, must pay for testing themselves.
6. If a Coronavirus rapid test is required for a business trip, training program, or another task connected to a staff member’s work, Bielefeld University will pay for the test.
7. Those returning from travel who are not vaccinated must provide a negative test result upon returning to work on campus. In this case, Bielefeld University will also cover the cost of testing.
8. For cases in which Bielefeld University covers the costs of rapid tests (as described above), the following procedure must be followed to obtain reimbursement: staff members must pay for the testing upfront at the test center and can then submit their receipts on a monthly basis at their dean's office, department, or institution. For business trips or trainings, these costs are to be submitted for an expense report.

Hopefully the much-feared 4th wave of the pandemic will not occur this fall, and we can continue moving forward on this path towards “normalization”. The Coronavirus pandemic, however, is not over. There are still seriously ill people lying in hospitals, some of whom are fighting for their lives.

It is therefore still very important that we adhere to the rules we all know by now (social distancing, wearing a mask, etc.) to ensure that we can safely interact with each other on the university campus. Being vaccinated, recovered, or tested makes everyone safer. Please take your responsibility seriously – we can all play our part to get through these challenging times.

Thank you very much for your understanding.

 

Best regards,
 

Dr. Stephan Becker, Chancellor

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, Rector