Information on How to Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic

hotline@zhv.rwth-aachen.de

hoersaal@zhv.rwth-aachen.de

Division 8.1 – Academic Employees and Assistants

Division 8.2 – Technical and Administrative Employees

Travel and visits from abroad

The legal requirements relating to travel are being continuously updated. Currently, only the Coronaeinreiseverordnung (CoronaEinrVO for short, Coronavirus Entry Ordinance in English) of the German Ministry of Health applies in North-Rhine Westphalia. This Ordinance contains specifications on reporting, testing, and self-isolation obligations when entering Germany from abroad. From August 1, 2021, risk areas are now only designated as one of two categories: high-risk areas or areas of variants of concern. Further information is available on the website of the Robert Koch Institute, which is linked below.

The following still applies as a basic principle: As soon as an individual exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, they are banned from entering the RWTH premises with immediate effect.

If you are planning an international business trip, we are asking you to please find out if your destination falls under one of the two categories and what your obligations are regarding registering, testing, or quarantine well ahead of time. Division 8.3 will be happy to assist you on this matter. Please also refer to the “International Business Trips” entry among the intranet offers of Division 8.3, for which you can find the link below.

Before you start planning a business trip, the Crisis Management Team asks that you check whether video conferencing or other remote formats might not be used as an alternative to travelling to an in-person meeting. If, however, a business trip is absolutely necessary and cannot be postponed, this must be dicussed with Division 8.3 before you enter the business travel request in the system. The individual who is traveling must check the classification of the destination country both in advance and immediately before the start of the trip. Persons traveling on official business must permanently ensure their own protection and observe the valid regulations in the destination country as well as when re-entering Germany. After traveling to high-risk or virus-variant areas, it is strongly recommended to first work from home for several days or to make frequent use (ideally daily) of the self-testing offer for employees.

Exemptions for cross-border commuters and individuals entering the country from abroad for urgent work-related reasons or because of their training or studies continue to apply. In case of doubt, employees should contact the responsible health department. Individuals who are subject to mandatory testing are not allowed to enter the RWTH premises until they have received (negative) test results.

If a certificate is required for absolutely necessary and urgent travel to an employee’s country of origin, the following departments will be happy to help:

• Division 2.1 for students
• Human resources departments for employees
• Division 2.2 for guests, visitors, service providers, etc.

Links:

RKI risk areas

Federal Ministry of Health website for travelers to Germany from abroad

Coronavirus Entry Regulations Overview (de)

International Business Trips (ZHV, Abteilung 8.3) (de)

Until further notice

Duty to report infections of University members

Cases of infection of University members are immediately to be reported to the University Medical Center at +49 0241 80 94444 ("Hochschulärztliche Einrichtung")

Until further notice

Contact tracing of close contacts

In some cases, contact tracing for contacts of infected individuals may be delayed. For this reason, all RWTH members who have been classified as a close contact are not permitted to enter the RWTH premises for the duration of the usual quarantine period. All RWTH employees concerned shall work from home during this period. If you are uncertain about whether you may be classified as a close contact, the University Medical Center will be happy to advise you in this regard. Furthermore, you should also get in touch with the local health department.

Until further notice

Work from home

In the updated Infection Protection Act, employers are once again under a so-called home-office offer obligation. This will be in effect for a limited period until March 19, 2022, and applies to all staff who perform office work. The heads of the various university institutions shall, per the statutory requirements, offer employees who carry out office work or comparable activities the opportunity to carry out these activities at home, provided that there are no compelling operational reasons opposing this.

The legislator has made it clear that for office work or similar activities, employers are only exempt from offering their employees the opportunity to work from home in particularly justified exceptional cases. Activity-based hybrid forms of work may also be considered. Employees must accept such an activity-based home office offer if there is no reason to oppose this. Reasons for declining this offer could, for example, be a lack of space in their home or if they are unable to work undisturbed.

This latest home office offer obligation aims to reduce contacts at the workplace again as much as possible. If employees have to continue to work on site, the workplaces freed up by granting home office to others should therefore be used as much as possible to further the objective of contact reduction. Sharing an office at the same time should be avoided at all costs.

Home Office Guide (de)

Until March 19, 2022

Study and reading rooms

• Central study spaces (including at the University Library): The Central University Administration and the University Library reopened their central study spaces to students at the beginning of June. To use these study spaces, students must continue to book their spots via the familiar platform to minimize queuing in front of the rooms. The regulations regarding masks and compulsory testing must be observed.
• Check here to find out exactly which study spaces are available on any given day.
• Study stations in the corridors of certain university buildings can now also be used again. These do not have to be booked in advance. Study stations are available in the following university buildings at present:
  
  - Audimax
  - C.A.R.L.
  - PPS
• Non-central study spaces (especially in department libraries): Decentralized study spaces may be opened, provided that the study space has been approved by the Occupational Safety and Radiation Protection Staff Unit within the scope of the available capacities, suitable supervision is ensured within opening hours, and a responsible person has been designated in the organizational unit. The regulations concerning the obligation to wear masks and to take tests must be observed.
• 3G applies in all RWTH buildings. When prompted, you must present corresponding proof of compliance with the 3G regulation.

Until further notice

University Library

The University Library and the Medical Library are open for the loan of all items for RWTH members and returns for all users without prior appointment. Access is limited to two individuals at any one time – please note that this may lead to longer waiting times. Proof of compliance with the 3G regulations must be shown at the entrance. The libraries are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The study spaces at the University Library are open until 10pm.

Further information is available here.

In-person advising services

In principle, in-person advising services can be available again as long as the special hygiene measures are observed. We strongly recommend contacting the respective service point by phone or email beforehand to find out what the measures and conditions are and to then arrange an appointment if possible.

Until further notice

Written exams

Regulations for written exams are outlined in this overview.

Until further notice

Work meetings

Work meetings may only be held in person if necessary, and only absolutely essential participants may attend. Due to RWTH’s home office offer obligation, the need for staff to attend meetings in person must be questioned regularly. All attendees must wear their masks (FFP2 or medical masks) and adhere to the known hygiene regulations throughout. Individuals who are required to attend necessary official meetings are to be offered Coronavirus self-tests on a regular basis via their university institution.

The current applicable minimum distance between individuals must be maintained during all activities. If this is not possible, the activity may only be carried out under application of compensation measures previously agreed with Occupational Safety.

Please also refer to the guidelines on how to conduct job interviews (de).

Until further notice

General events

The Rectorate, the deans of academic affairs, the chairpersons of the examination boards, and the Crisis Management Team have decided to put special regulations in place for hosting events. These have been communicated in our concept of implementation of the regulations.

The concept contains regulations on the following in particular:

• Teaching and exams
• Study spaces
• Research and ongoing operations
• Congresses/symposia/third-party events
• In-person work meetings

University Sports

Please refer to the University Sports website for detailed information.

Until further notice