You may notice some changes to University buildings and our campus as we put in place measures to enhance safety and wellbeing. These changes have been based on official government and public health guidance, including Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) guidance.

Our health and safety team have been working on appropriate changes and mitigations for different environments on campus. Different factors need to be taken into account in terms of the locations people are in, how long people are spending together and how close people are together.

Mitigating actions will vary depending on these factors but may include social distancing, adequate ventilation measures, the orientation of work and study spaces and additional measures like the wearing of face coverings.

Some of the changes you will see include:

• putting social distancing measures in place and repurposed space to allow for this
• maximising ventilation of spaces and moving the orientation of some work and study spaces
• staggering the start and end times of in-person teaching sessions
  
• installing hand sanitiser stations at building entrances and exits and enhancing cleaning regimes
• where possible, implementing one-way systems and maximum occupancy restrictions in some areas
• making bedrooms available on campus for new students travelling from countries that require a period of self-isolation after arriving in the UK
• securing additional space on campus and in town to ease pressure on buildings and transport
• making reusable face coverings available to staff and students who need them
  
• investing in the ‘Safezone’ app where those who download it can easily send an alert or call for help, and the University can also issue urgent alerts to members of our community
• developing a booking system for study spaces in University buildings so we can ensure the capacity is managed safely

Make sure you know when and where you are legally required to wear face coverings, for example, on public transport and in shops.

There are limited exemptions to this, such as instances where wearing a face covering may pose a risk to the user, and there are some circumstances, for health, age or equality reasons, where people are not expected to wear face coverings. Some people may wear sunflower lanyards to denote a hidden disability.

If people cannot wear face coverings for these reasons, please be kind and considerate.

UK government legal requirements may evolve, so please be aware of current signs and messages from the University.

Face coverings are largely intended to protect others. As such, members of our community and visitors are encouraged to wear face coverings in enclosed indoor spaces where social distancing of 2 metres cannot be observed. Of course, people can wear face coverings elsewhere on campus or in other settings if they feel comfortable doing so, and we would ask people to respect each other’s choices in this regard.

We understand it’s easy to have a moment where you forget these new rules. But please be prepared for others to gently remind you.

COVID-19 symptoms can include a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Of course, you should only travel to Bath if you are free from COVID-19 symptoms and are not self-isolating.

If you, or any of the people you live with, develop symptoms of COVID-19, you should isolate from others and seek a test straight away. If you are a student tell us if you have symptoms of Covid-19 so we can support you. If you are a member of staff please inform your line manager straight away.

Find out how to get a free NHS test to check if you have coronavirus. If you have a home test kit, read the instructions carefully and watch the short film on how to take a coronavirus self-test swab. If you are a student living in University accommodation, you must not come to the post room and collect or drop off the test. Call Security on extension 5349 (from a mobile 01225 385349) and they will arrange secure drop off and collection.

There is specific government guidance for residents of University accommodation or houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs). If you live in University accommodation or are a resident of an HMO you must isolate for 14 days if:

• you have any symptoms of coronavirus
  
• you've tested positive for coronavirus – this means you have coronavirus
• you live with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive

If you are self-isolating, government advice is very clear about what you can and cannot do:

• do not go to work, university, or public places – study or work from home if you can
• do not go on public transport or use taxis
• do not go out to get food and medicine – order it online or by phone, or ask someone to bring it to your home
• do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family, except for people providing essential care
• do not go out to exercise – exercise at home or in your garden, if you have one

People living in a household do not need to observe social distancing with each other. So, family groups, those sharing University flats and in kitchen groups, or students living with housemates off campus are considered to be in households.

If anyone within a household has symptoms of COVID-19 or is tested positive, the whole household must self-isolate following NHS guidance.

In University accommodation, you cannot have visitors from other household groups in your flat or room to minimise risks to yourself and other residents.

Students living with housemates off campus should abide by government guidance, which means you should only meet people you do not live with in 3 types of groups:

• you can continue to meet in any outdoor space in a group of up to 6 people from different households
• single adult households – in other words adults who live alone or with dependent children only – can continue to form an exclusive ‘support bubble’ with one other household
• you can also meet in a group of 2 households, of up to 6 people in total, in any location ‒ public or private, indoors or outdoors - this does not need to be the same household each time

These rules make it clear that house parties with more than 6 people from different households are not allowed and would be a serious breach of regulations.

It remains the case ‒ even inside someone’s home ‒ that you should socially distance from anyone not in your household or bubble.

Transport in the hilly city of Bath can pose a challenge at the best of times. We’ve been working with the local council and bus operator to plan COVID-secure routes between campus, town, and residential areas.

There are walking and cycling routes between the city and campus which will benefit your health as well as the environment.

Buses are likely to be operating with reduced capacity, and wearing face coverings is mandatory, with limited exemptions.

The bus drivers and marshalls will be doing their best to keep Bath moving. We ask that all members of our community are mindful, patient, and kind in our interactions with fellow passengers and bus drivers.

Unless you have travelled from within the UK or from a country that is on the exempt list as it’s part of a travel corridor with the UK, you will have to self-isolate (or ‘quarantine’) for 14 days once you arrive in the UK.

Government rules on self-isolation are clear. You:

• should self-isolate in one place for the full 14 days, where you can have food and other necessities delivered, and stay away from others
• should not have visitors, including friends and family, unless they are providing emergency or medical assistance
• cannot go shopping or visit public areas

If you have arranged to self-isolate in University accommodation, you cannot move about campus, we will get food delivered to you and help if you have urgent requirements.