In this week’s update on the Government roadmap, the Prime Minister announced that the final lifting of all COVID restrictions in England (Step 4), originally due to come into effect from 21 June, has been delayed by four weeks until 19 July. Unless announced otherwise, Step 3 restrictions remain in place, and you should continue to follow the guidance on the Government’s webpages.
It is expected that England will move to Step 4 on 19 July, although the Government will continue to monitor the data, including a review in two weeks’ time, and any move to Step 4 will be confirmed one week in advance.
For any students who are on campus, or otherwise have continuing in-person teaching scheduled, this latest announcement brings no change and these sessions will go ahead as planned. Also, please remember that our campus is open for all students to make the most of the services and facilities available. This includes access to both of our on-campus libraries, Student Services, our Guild of Students and Sports & Fitness Centre.
‘Delta’ variant
The delay in the roadmap’s progression is largely because of concerns over the Delta variant of the virus, which spreads more easily person to person, with cases growing by about 64% per week.
The Government has published this list of named areas where the Delta variant is spreading fastest, and updated its guidance for people living in these areas, which currently includes Liverpool City Region.
If you are living in Liverpool or any of the other areas listed, please make sure you adhere to this updated guidance. This includes meeting outside rather than inside where possible, taking particular caution when meeting anyone outside your household or support bubble, minimising travel in and out of the area and participating in regular testing, including surge testing where offered.
Safety and testing over the summer period
We advise all students to continue to take regular, twice-weekly tests over the summer. Students who are in Liverpool can take a test or collect at-home test kits from our on-site asymptomatic test centre based in the Stanley Theatre, Liverpool Guild of Students. Students anywhere in the UK can order tests online, over the phone or collect from a local pharmacy. Please remember, if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19 you must self-isolate and book a PCR test, either at our ‘symptomatic’ test centre, or via the Government webpages.
If you test positive for COVID-19 while in Liverpool, please remember to inform the University by completing this form.
If you are travelling over the summer period, please follow safer travel guidance at all times. This includes avoiding public transport, wherever possible, wearing a face covering and socially distancing at all times, and getting tested prior to travel. We’ve put together some tips for you to read through, however, the Government has also issued detailed guidance about how to travel safely.
Any students planning to travel outside of the UK should also refer to the latest international travel guidance.
COVID-19 vaccinations
You may have also heard that COVID-19 vaccinations are now being offered to all those aged 18 and over within the next few days. We encourage you to accept a vaccination if offered one, please keep checking eligibility and book directly on the NHS website.
Please note, international students studying in the UK are eligible for the vaccine while in the country. Please remember that you need to be registered with a GP before you can get your vaccination, or any medical treatment, so we encourage you to register as soon as possible if you haven’t already, to avoid potential delays.
Teaching plans from September 2021
If you are returning to study with us this autumn, if you haven’t already, you will soon receive further details from your department about your teaching delivery.
We are also currently planning this year’s welcome programme, which will include on-campus activities and events, wherever possible. We understand this past year has been very difficult for all of our community, and appreciate that, as a result of the pandemic, you have not necessarily had the experience you may have expected. For this reason, we encourage all returning students to engage with welcome activities and re-familiarise yourself with both campus and the wider city. We will be in touch again as soon as we have further details to share.
Support available
Please remember that regardless of where you are spending the summer break, we have a range of support services in place, all fully accessible via our digital channels. This includes support with your studies through KnowHow, online access to our library services, help identifying and pursuing your chosen career, and access to advice and guidance on everything from mental health to money issues.