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Joint statement by Liverpool universities in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Liverpool

A joint statement from Professor Dame Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool; Professor Ian Campbell, Vice-Chancellor, Liverpool John Moores University; and Professor Gerald Pillay, Vice Chancellor & Rector, Liverpool Hope University:

The safety, security and wellbeing of all of our students and staff is always our highest priority and has been paramount in our planning for the academic year. Each of our universities has put a very significant range of robust safety measures in place on our campuses to keep staff and students safe.

In the context of a growing number of cases in the Liverpool City Region and the additional local measures currently in force, we are working to continue to minimise the risk for our academic communities and the communities in which we live and work.

All of our universities have the capacity to move our teaching and learning online in a way that continues to support students in meeting their learning outcomes, with exceptions in disciplines such as clinical, technical or creative/performance subjects that require face to face interaction. Where we haven’t already made the shift to online, we will do so now.

Support for our students outside the classroom remains absolutely crucial and we each have detailed plans in place to support them both in their learning and their wellbeing over the coming weeks. They can continue to access libraries and support on campus and we will continue to provide those facilities in a safe and controlled way.

We have moved to this position due to the high levels of COVID-19 in the city, and because we believe we can keep our students and staff safe at this level of operation.

We will keep this position under review as a collective university approach and will continue to work together with the Council, the City’s Director of Public Health and key partners, including Public Health England.

This is a challenging time but we each remain committed to ensuring that our institutions play our part in the wider City effort to limit further spread of COVID-19.

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