The Government has today announced new guidelines to enable university students in England to travel home for Christmas, once national restrictions end on 2 December.
We are currently working through what these new guidelines mean for our University community, and will contact all students with further information by email tomorrow.
New guidelines
To travel home safely, students in England will be required to continue to follow the current national restrictions in place until 2 December. Following this, from 3 to 9 December, during a period the government have termed the ‘student travel window’, students will be allowed to travel home from their term-time address. By introducing the ‘student travel window’ directly after the national lockdown in England, it is hoped this will reduce the risk of transmission to family and friends at home.
It is also recommended that all teaching should move online by 9 December so students can continue their studies while also having the option to return home to study from there. We are reviewing how this will apply across all our courses, in particular what this will mean for students in clinical, laboratory and other practice-based disciplines, who have continued with face-to-face teaching this semester. Clinical placement activity is still permitted after 9 December until the end of term with those students still able to return home for Christmas. More information can be found at gov.uk and further details will follow.
Mass testing
The Government will work closely with universities to make sure as many students as possible are offered a COVID-19 test before travelling home.
Again, we are working through the details for how this process will work alongside our current testing facilities.
For now, if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19 you should still immediately self-isolate and book a test using our on-campus site.
We are also still encouraging all students without symptoms to continue to take part in the Liverpool mass testing pilot.
Support and guidance
We know that this continues to be a difficult time, particularly for any students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and for those of you who are currently self-isolating. Those of you in this position will have been contacted as part of our contact tracing process to check on your welfare and offer practical and emotional support.
Please remember that there is a wide range of support services available to you if you need them, including mental health, wellbeing and counselling services.
We will be continuing to provide advice and support for students during their move home and also are developing detailed plans for how we will be supporting students who, for any reason, remain on campus over Christmas. Further details about this will be communicated as soon as possible.