The University has provided an update on the safety measures in place on campus from September 2021, and information about what you should do before travelling to campus and the specific guidelines we’ll have in place during Welcome Week.
International students should have received detailed information and guidance about travelling to the UK and quarantine requirements. Further details can be found here.
Safety measures on campus
Our continuing priority is the safety and health of our students and staff and it is in this context that we have implemented a COVID Management Strategy for the start of term that is deliberately cautious and which goes further than the minimum expectations conveyed in current, UK Government guidance. These measures will be kept under regular review and you will be informed promptly of any changes.
What this means is that things might continue to look a little different whilst we prioritise our space to balance the interactive and social opportunities which make the Liverpool experience unique with the safety of our university community.
It is really important to us that we begin this year by inviting all our students to campus next week to engage in in-person welcome activities ahead of starting or continuing your studies. To be able to do this safely, while we get used to being back together on campus, we ask that all students adhere to the following measures:
Face coverings
You are required to wear a face covering during indoor Welcome Week events, in other indoor areas on campus, and following Welcome Week in indoor teaching spaces and buildings, unless a medical exemption applies. In these cases, individuals should wear a clearly visible sunflower lanyard, and/or carry a medical exemption card. Lanyards are available from Student Services in the Alsop building or can be purchased from Hidden Disabilities.
Social distancing
Make sure you continue to follow the rules set out for in-person teaching sessions and laboratories and try to maintain a suitable distance from others in indoor spaces, wherever possible.
Ventilation
We have robust measures in place to ensure our ventilation systems are working well across campus, including regular CO2 measurements. Students and staff, however, are encouraged to keep windows and doors of occupied rooms open, wherever possible.
Testing and COVID passes
Even if you have been fully vaccinated and feel well, remember that you can still get COVID-19 and pass it on. All students should receive a negative lateral flow test before travelling back to campus, and aim to travel within 24 hours of this result. You can access tests via the Government webpages.
Once you arrive, to access in-person Welcome Week events you will be required to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test taken within 24 hours of the event.
To support you, our on-campus asymptomatic testing facilities and home test kits will continue to be accessible to all. During Welcome Week (20-24 September) our test centre (located at the Chapel, Foresight Centre, building 359, grid ref: C10) will be open 8.30am-3pm Monday–Friday for drop-ins, and we will also have a pop-up testing tent on University Square running from 9.30am-4pm Monday–Friday. If you’d prefer to do the test at home, you can collect test kits from the centre, pop-up testing tent, the Guild and Sydney Jones Library throughout the week, and if you are living in our halls of residence you’ll receive a kit in your room.
Following Welcome Week, from the start of term (27 September) we strongly encourage all our students and staff to carry out twice weekly testing and our on-campus testing facility will continue to be available for you to access.
The University expects students to download the NHS app/COVID pass to keep track of your test results and vaccination status. Following Welcome Week, there may be other circumstances where a COVID pass and/or proof of a negative test is required. For example, students on clinical programmes requiring hospital attendance; attendance at off-site field trips; and non-curricular activities linked to the University. In these cases, you will be informed if this applies to you.
For any students and staff who experience symptoms of COVID-19, or who are identified as being a close contact of a positive case, we will also continue to provide access to free PCR testing on campus. Our test centre is open from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday for the first two weeks of term, and from 11am-3pm Monday-Friday thereafter, and you can book an appointment online.
Further information is available on our dedicated safety web hub.
Clinically extremely vulnerable students
Clinically extremely vulnerable people are now being advised by the Government to follow the same guidance as the rest of the population. The University’s robust safety measures are in place to protect everyone in our community but we appreciate that some students may still have concerns about returning to campus. In these situations, we ask that you speak with your academic school in the first instance.
Vaccinations
All adults in the UK, including international students, are now eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccination, and while not compulsory for attendance on campus, we encourage everyone in our community to take up the vaccination. You can book your vaccination on the NHS website or use one of the pop-up vaccination centres on campus or in the city.
During Welcome Week, we will be offering a pop-up vaccination centre on campus. Vaccinations (Pfizer only) will be available at the Central Teaching Hub (building 221, grid ref F7) on the following dates and times:
- Monday, 20 September, 10am-4pm
- Tuesday, 21 September, 10am-4pm
- Wednesday, 22 September, 12pm-8pm
Details of other vaccination drop-ins available across the Liverpool City Region can be found here.
Further information about accessing the COVID-19 vaccination, including specific guidance for international students who may have received vaccinations before travelling to the UK, can be found on our safety webpages.