Corona-News

Starting Monday, April 4, 2022, the 3G rule will no longer apply at the University Sports Center, HSZ for short. “Nevertheless, we urge all participants to continue to get tested before attending classes and to wear a mask on their way to and from the indoor sports facilities as well as in the waiting area to further minimize potential infections,” said Peter Lynen, director of the HSZ.

For more information, go to the HSZ website.

The new University Ordinance on the Coronavirus Epidemic enters into effect on April 1. Starting April 3, with the beginning of the new semester, RWTH will no longer have a legal basis to compel everyone to wear masks, maintain minimum distances, and comply with the 3G rule. However, in the spirit of solidarity, RWTH is committed to keeping everyone in the university community safe. For this reason, the Rectorate and AStA have agreed to launch a campaign at RWTH: We Are Still Wearing Our Masks. This campaign will require everyone to still wear masks in the hallways, study spaces, and lecture halls. Instructors are asked to urge their students to wear masks in class and to make the best use of the space available in the lecture halls. “We hope we can count on everyone’s community spirit,“ emphasizes Professor Aloys Krieg, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Learning.

The amendments to the Infection Protection Act have led to the following adjustments of COVID-19 regulations at RWTH:

• The 3G rule at the workplace has been dropped. The building-related 3G rule thus also no longer applies. Please note, however, that until April 2, 2022, participating in courses and exams will continue to be possible only if the 3G rule is observed. The previous offers or obligations to check for 3G-compliance remain in place.
• Employers are no longer obligated to make a home office offer to their staff. However, home office arrangements can still be implemented as an appropriate infection control measure. The regulations in force from April 1, 2022 regarding working from home and situational mobile work can be found here [https://blog.rwth-aachen.de/corona/2022/03/11/home-office-regelung-ab-1-april-2022/].
• When working on site, employees must be offered at least one self-test per week. These tests can still be obtained free of charge from the RWTH Purchasing Portal. [ https://rwth-kaufhaus.de/ ]
• The recommendations of the Occupational Safety and Radiation Protection Staff Unit for working on site have been updated. Please find the updated version here [ https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/uebzi/lidx/1 ]

The previous regulations continue to apply in all other respects. As soon as the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has come to a decision about the COVID-19 regulations effective from April 3, we will inform you in a timely manner. This applies in particular to regulations that may affect teaching activities and exams. Currently, however, more far-reaching regulations (such as not continuing the 3G rule, etc.) are not expected as of this date.

Until March 19, 2022, the statutory obligation to make a home office offer continues to apply. Until the end of the winter semester (March 31, 2022), up to 100% home office can be granted by mutual agreement based on a regulation at RWTH. The legal regulations around the pandemic situation that will apply as of March 20, 2022, are currently still under political discussion. Nevertheless, we are already receiving increased inquiries as to which home office regulations will apply at RWTH from April 1, 2022 onwards.

Unless further legislation is brought into force by the federal or state government, the Crisis Management Team and the University Management have agreed to implement the following work-from-home policy from April 1, 2022 until the end of the summer vacation (August 9, 2022):

Employees and supervisors may mutually agree to implement home office for up to 60% of their weekly working hours. No involvement of the HR department or further documentation is required for such a consensual agreement. In addition, the new “Agreement on Working from Home and Situational Mobile Work” (in German) can be used as an alternative or in addition to the options for situational mobile work.

On the one hand, this regulation is intended to continue to protect us from infection and, on the other hand, it serves to enable a smooth transition to the framework conditions of the new “Agreement on Working from Home and Situational Mobile Work”.

Current corona-related regulations for participation in university sports classes (Access to University Sports Indoor and Outdoor).

• Two Vaccinations –> no test needed
• Recovery and Vaccination –> no test needed
• Recovery –> no test needed
• No Immunization –> test is obligatory

Participation in our classes is subject to the presentation of the following proofs:

1. Presentation of proof of recovery

whereby the proof of infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has to date back at least 28 days as well as a maximum of 3 months.

or

2. Presentation of proof of vaccination

A complete immunization record consists of:

• vaccination certificate (digital or paper certificate of a vaccination facility) with a vaccine approved in Germany. Proof of a complete protective vaccination against the coronavirus-SARS-CoV-2 for which the administration of the last prescribed or recommended vaccination dose took place at least 14 days ago. In case of vaccination with a non-approved vaccine, the University Medical Center offers to provide an appropriate certificate for vaccinations with an equivalent vaccine to support a smooth process of the 3G examinations at RWTH Aachen University.

or

• proof of vaccination in combination with proof of recovery in accordance with the current Annex 2 to the Coronavirus Protection Ordinance.

or

3. Proof of a Negative Test

Tested persons, as defined by the Coronavirus Protection Ordinance, are persons who have a negative result certified in accordance with the Coronavirus Test and Quarantine Ordinance from a rapid antigen test performed no more than 24 hours ago or a PCR test certified by an accepted laboratory no more than 48 hours ago. A Corona self-test carried out under the supervision of a person instructed in this regard can also be used to issue a test certificate under special conditions. Currently, this only applies to Corona self-tests for RWTH employees.

General information

The proofs must be presented in either German or English and in conjunction with an identification document. If you have any questions regarding the recognition of your vaccination certificate, please visit the FAQ page of RWTH Aachen University. For example, under the heading “I got my Covid-19 vaccination outside of Europe. Will it be recognized as proof of a 3G option here?”

All regulations are based on the current Coronavirus Protection Ordinance NRW. In order to further minimize the incidence of infection, the regulations of Aachen University Sports may go beyond the current legal regulations in coordination with the crisis management team of RWTH Aachen University.

Since checking the documents takes more time than the usual access controls, we ask you to arrive at the sports facility at least 15 minutes before the start of your sports class. You should also expect a corresponding waiting time.

Although the University Ordinance on the Coronavirus Epidemic has not been extended or updated yet, the University is attempting to determine rules for the summer semester after consultation at a special meeting of the Rectorate’s Commission for Teaching, as all parties will need some notice.

In line with the assessment of the Ministry of Culture and Science, the summer semester will be predominantly face-to-face: According to the Rectorate, courses and events will generally be held in person. Professor Aloys Krieg, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Learning, adds: “We currently do not have any information on regulations regarding checks, distancing and mask requirements, etc.”

Instructors are encouraged to continue the flipped classroom format that had already proven to be effective prior to the pandemic. If instructors would like to offer their courses in an exclusively remote format for justifiable reasons, please clarify this with the respective Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs or Dean’s Office. In such cases, instructors are urged to inform students via announcements on the relevant websites or the virtual classroom well ahead of time.

According to information from the health department of Städteregion Aachen, the facility-based vaccination requirement at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen only applies to students who are directly in contact with patients. The Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs or Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine will discuss the exact arrangement directly with the students concerned.

RWTH asks for your understanding that regulations are subject to change due to the unforeseeable pandemic developments during the summer semester.