Staff and COVID-19

If you suspect, you have become infected with COVID-19 (the symptoms are very similar to a common flu) you should immediately contact the next healthcare clinic and ask for advice. Anyone experiencing symptoms must remain at home and under no circumstances come to the campus while for test results, and notify  their superior or their colleagues.
 
The Civil Protection Tracing Team will take control and contact you and trace the infection.  It is very important to keep calm and follow the advice of tracing team.  Only the Tracing team sends people into quarantine.
 
Further information.

If infection is confirmed, infection tracking begins under the direction of the Civil Protection Infection Tracking Team. The tracking team will contact the infected person and after
that colleagues if necessary.

• Employees should notify their supervisor or colleagues if they receive confirmation of infection and students should notify their department or school office.
• Supervisors or offices that receive a notification:
  •  Notify the Emergency Response Board by email: neydarstjorn@hi.is
  • Notify employees in the building where the infected person works.
  • Note. The name of the infected person may not be disclosed without their informed consent.
• Measures will be taken to disinfect the infected person’s work area and common contact areas in the building.    

• Staff in quarantine are kindly asked to report the situation to their supervisor. Students are also kindly asked to report their situation to their Faculty. The School will then inform the Emergency Response Board by e-mail to neydarstjorn@hi.is. 
• It is crucial that anyone experiencing symptoms of illness or who has potentially been exposed to infection, e.g. due to travel, calls 1700 for guidance. Those experiencing symptoms must remain at home and under no circumstances attend University.
• Managers are asked to be flexible regarding submission of doctor's certificates if staff or students feel they have cause to stay away from their workplaces or are unable to fulfil responsibilities.
• People at greater risk, e.g. older people and those with underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, lung diseases or immunosuppression, should work from home, avoid unnecessary gatherings of people and practise good hygiene.
• Look out for one another, encourage people to go home if they appear to be ill, and take particular care to look out for people who don´t have a strong support network in Iceland.

• The absolute best defence against the spead of disease is hand washing, cf. guidelines from the Directorate of Health and the University of Iceland Web of Science. 
• Hand sanitising stations have been set up in University buildings and students and staff are encouraged to use them. Teaching staff are reminded to wash their hands before and after classes. 
• Extra emphasis has also been placed on cleaning the buildings. 

Yes, University buildings are currently open. University staff is encouraged to follow without exception the regulations of the Chief Epidemiologist and other authorities. Staff in central administration working in open spaces will be divided into groups to reduce the risk of infection. The same applies to PhD students who work in open spaces and staff that share offices. This also applies to those who share offices.

General infection prevention and physical distancing

The University of Iceland primarily emphasises that individuals should take steps to prevent infection, e.g. physical distancing, hand washing and disinfection. 

Students, teaching staff and other staff should not enter any part of the University campus if they: 

-    Are in quarantine. 

-    Are in isolation (also while waiting for COVID-19 test results) 

-    Are experiencing symptoms typical of COVID-19 (cold symptoms, cough, fever, headache, bone or muscle aches, fatigue).

Physical distancing in all University of Iceland buildings means keeping at least 1 metre away from other people, in all spaces. Students, teaching staff and other staff must also keep 1 metre apart in all their work at the University. 

Further information on work during COVID-19 can be found on the University intraweb, Ugla.

Restrictions on gatherings and separation of groups

• Teaching and learning is permitted in all University buildings, on condition that students and staff can maintain a distance of 1 metre.
• The number of students and staff members in a single classroom or study room must not exceed 300. 
• Mixing between student groups is permitted.
• Where it is not possible to maintain a distance of 1 metre, facemasks must be worn.
• Practical teaching and clinical training, where it is not possible to maintain a distance, is permitted on the condition that students and teaching staff wear facemasks and take steps to prevent infection.
• The maximum audience for a University event is 300 people in each infection control zone, subject to certain conditions. Face masks are required at seated events.
• Common surfaces in University classrooms will be disinfected between classes.
• ​​​All shared equipment and common surfaces at the University will be disinfected at least once a day

• Face masks will no longer be required at the University, except at seated events.

The University of Iceland is responsible for ensuring that current public health restrictions are enforced, with the safety and wellbeing of students, teaching staff and other staff in mind. 

• Hand sanitiser will be available at the entrance to and inside each classroom (there may be more than one classroom in each section).
• Common equipment and surfaces shall be disinfected at least once a day and emphasis placed on individuals taking steps to prevent infection. Common surfaces (door handles etc.) in classrooms shall be disinfected between classes. Each student must disinfect their desk – ideally students should come with a small spray bottle of disinfectant in their bag. It is recommended that the teacher wipe down the door handle after class.  
• Posters to remind everyone of the situation will be put up in University buildings. (See: https://www.covid.is/media).
• The number of visitors to the University of Iceland shall be limited as far as possible (e.g. no large meetings, open events etc.). Any visitors must be reminded to be careful and always follow infection prevention rules.
• Instructions on how to respond to an infection can be found here.

• Yes, Háma in Háskólatorg will be open on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. but for take-away only. Háma in Tæknigarður, Læknagarður and Eirberg are also open. The Bookstore Café is open 9-18 on weekdays and the Student Cellar from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 4 - 10 p.m. on weekdays. If the restaurant is at full capacity according to current public health restrictions, take-away is always an option. It is also possible to call ahead, 570-0890, order and pick-up.
• A new cafeteria has opened on the ground floor of Veröld - House of Vigdís, Café Cuckoo (Kaffi Gaukur) and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. 
• Please note that the maximum number of guests in each cafeteria or restaurant is 300 or as many as or as many as  adistance of 1 metre allows.

Yes, the University Gym is open from 15 April according to the new restrictions on gatherings.

1. The main sports hall is open to group bookings.

• The group must have a representative who is responsible for ensuring that rules are followed. The maximum number of people in a group is 26.

• Participants must be registered in advance and the list sent to gym staff (ithrottahus@hi.is).

• Participants can borrow mats and weights for a private use if they disinfect them before and after use.

People will need to bring their own equipment, including balls and other small items that are passed between people

2. The weights room is open to a maximum of 20 people at a time.

A. Everyone using the weights room must be registered for a session in advance through Ugla. You can only register for one session per day.

3. The changing rooms are open to a maximum of 20 people at a time.

4. Before starting a session, people must disinfect their hands and the apparatus they plan to use.

5. After the session, each person must disinfect any equipment that they used.

6. When the session is over, people must disinfect their hands on the way out.

7. All sessions are 10 minutes shorter than normal. These 10 minutes are used to disinfect equipment and tidy up the room before the next group comes in.

8. If an infection is traced to the gym, it may potentially be closed temporarily while the contact tracing team do their work.

Note that separate rules apply to student trips using e.g. buses.

Despite the current precautions implemented in response to COVID-19, people are still permitted to take field trips or work trips if they are considered essential. We reiterate that people must comply with the current rules on disease prevention as closely as possible. In this context, the guidelines from the University of Iceland are as follows:

1. A maximum of 4 people may travel in the same car.
2. People must stay one meter apart from one another to the extent that this is possible.
3. Participants in work /field trips use masks while travelling in the car and as required in accordance with general guidelines.
4. When travelling by car for work trips / field trips within Iceland, people must take supplies for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces (e.g. antibacterial wipes, sanitiser and gloves). Follow more detailed instructions regarding which surfaces to clean after travelling by car.
5. People who are more at risk should evaluate whether it is strictly necessary for them to take part in work trips / field trips within Iceland and may of course abandon their plans.
6. General rules regarding work trips / field trips within Iceland and health and safety on trips apply. Staff should review the rules that apply to their own unit.
7. All work trips / field trips within Iceland shall be registered in the system used by the relevant unit (e.g. there is an online system for this at the Institute of Earth Sciences http://jardvis.hi.is/fieldwork_registration).
8. If there is an urgent need, these guidelines can be deviated from. In each case a detailed explaination is required.

• Staff are asked to stay up to date with the latest information about areas that have been defined as high risk. People should not travel to these areas but if it is unavoidable, they must quarantine themselves in accordance with instructions from the Chief Epidemiologist and the Directorate of Health.
• If staff are in doubt about whether to go ahead with a trip, even if the destination is not a high-risk area, they are free to cancel the trip. If the expenses can not be refunded (e.g. from the airline, the conference organiser, insurance company or trade union), all effort will be made to prevent staff suffering a financial loss.

Guidelines for those who come from abroad to study or work at the University of Iceland while COVID-19 restrictions apply. Students and staff are asked to stay up to date with the latest information about areas that have been defined as high risk. People should not travel to these areas but if it is unavoidable, they must quarantine themselves in accordance with instructions from the Chief Epidemiologist and the Directorate of Health.

Trip leaders

1. The trip leader is responsible for staying vigilant and guiding students on how to follow these rules.

Symptoms and screening

1. People with even the mildest symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 must not go on field trips under any circumstances.
2. People in isolation or quarantining after coming from abroad must not go on field trips.  People waiting for coronavirus test results must not go on field trips.
3. People who have recently entered Iceland from abroad must have received the results of the second test before going on a field trip.

Coach trips

1. Have hand sanitiser at the entrance to the coach and encourage people to use it both on entering and leaving the vehicle.
2. Ask passengers to move calmly through the vehicle and use the same seat for the duration of the trip.
3. Maintain at least a one-seat gap between passengers.  
4. All passengers should wear a face mask while the vehicle is moving.

Please find further information on the Icelandic Tourist Board website.

Work and education at stops

1.    Students and teaching staff should follow the two-metre physical distancing rule.
2.    If students are required to handle any equipment, they must use disposable gloves.

Accommodation

1. Students should not be staying overnight in shared spaces where it is not possible to follow infection prevention rules.
2. Trips must therefore be day-trips, unless it is possible to stay in accommodation with single-occupancy rooms, e.g. at Laugarvatn.  

Please find further information on the Icelandic Tourist Board website

Guidelines for accommodation with shared private facilities
 

On 12 June 2020, the Rector announced that doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers receiving wages (paid from the University of Iceland's doctoral or postdoctoral funds) could apply for support from the Division of Human Resources if they had lost work time due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. The reasoning behind this offer of support was that University buildings were temporarily closed and the operations of preschools and elementary schools limited, which increased pressure on staff with young children. All applications submitted to the Division of Human Resources for support due to loss of work time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 have been processed.

The decision has been taken not to repeat the invitation for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to apply for financial support if their research has been delayed due to the pandemic. However, cases in which doctoral students have lost access to labs on the University campus will be reviewed individually and students in this position are asked to contact the coordinator for doctoral studies at their school.

School coordinators for doctoral studies will monitor the progress of doctoral students to see whether they experience difficulties completing their degrees due to the situation. University authorities will closely monitor the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and look for ways to continue to support doctoral studies at the University.

Please contact the Division of Science and Innovation if you require further information.