Corona-News

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.

The University Medical Center is offering vaccinations (first, second, and booster) on February 17 and February 24, 2022, between 8:30am and 2pm, even without prior appointment bookings. The vaccinations are administered at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen (Spiegelsaal, elevator B2, floor E, corridor 03, room 01). Please also check our FAQ for more information about vaccinations.

In coordination with the Crisis Management Team, Division 1.1 has published an updated version of the “Guidelines on Holding Exams in the 2021/2022 Winter Semester”.

These guidelines are available for download.

Rectorate, Crisis Management Team, the Deans of Academic Affairs, and the Chairpersons of the Examination Boards have strongly urged all instructors to hold any written exams remotely this upcoming exam period. Unfortunately, ZuseLab may not be used for occupational safety reasons. On the other hand, it is the instructors’ constitutionally protected right to decide whether to hold their exams in person or remotely. Therefore, all instructors had the opportunity to submit a request if they wanted to offer their students in-person written exams. Accordingly, about 70 of the approximately 1,500 exams will be conducted in person. However, all instructors should still offer an alternative format for those who cannot come to RWTH due to quarantine and isolation orders.

Exam dates will generally remain the same, although we will move some weekend dates to the beginning of the following week. Your instructors will have the most current information about when and in what form your written exams will take place. Please get in touch with them if you need more information.

The Crisis Management Team is continuously assessing the dynamic manner in which the infection rates are developing. At our last meeting, we agreed that – despite the rising rates of infection – it would not be sensible to adapt the measures at this time. Instead, we strongly urge you to implement the previous measures consistently.

In this context, the following instructions and information are given:

• If an employee or a student needs to be present on campus due to the nature of the work that they are doing, they must strictly observe the known hygiene measures. You can also find further information on these measures by visiting the following page https://download.cms.rwth-aachen.de/zhv/5.2/220119_Uebersicht_Regelungen_3G_Test_Maskenpflicht_EN.pdf. Where masks need to be worn, we strongly urge you to use FFP2 masks. These FFP2 masks and other hygiene products can be purchased by the University institutions through the RWTH Purchasing Portal at https://rwth-kaufhaus.de/Hygieneschutz-Produkte/.
• We would like to remind you that you must provide your employees and students with the option to work from home if their field of work permits this (see also https://blog.rwth-aachen.de/corona/2021/11/23/home-office-angebots-verpflichtung/?lang=en).
• University institutions can continue to obtain free rapid tests through the RWTH Purchasing Portal. When working on campus in person, all employees and students are encouraged to make active use of the self-tests or other testing options. Increased testing contributes to the rapid identification of infections and thus enables us to break the chains of infection more effectively.
• Due to the increasing numbers of infections, effective contact tracing by public health authorities can no longer be guaranteed. Because of this, personal responsibility and prudent action are becoming even more important for managers, employees and students. If there is a concrete risk of infection, you should speak about this subject openly. The University Medical Center will be able to provide advice on all matters pertaining to quarantine and the like. The relevant HR department will provide advice on all matters relating to HR law.
• The increased infection rates mean that we expect that more staff will be forced to call in sick. As a result of this, all critical processes (supervision of test stations, holding exams, etc.) should be reviewed again in the University institutions. Adjustments in personnel or process planning (including working in shifts) may become necessary here.
• The Federal Government has modified the definition of fully vaccinated as well as recovered individuals. For example, a single vaccination with the vaccine Janssen from Johnsson&Johnsson is no longer sufficient to be considered completely vaccinated. This has particular implications for checking compliance with the 3G rule. You can find further information on this by visiting https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/sqrjx/lidx/1.

Please note that these instructions are not exhaustive. Further questions are also answered on the following page: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/Die-RWTH/Aktuell/Aktuell-geltende-Massnahmen/~ghyqc/frequently-asked-questions-about-coronavirus/

The Crisis Management Team and the Rectorate urge all members and affiliates of RWTH to heed these instructions and comply with the measures. This is the only way that we can keep the University running. If changes in the measures do become necessary, we will get in touch with you again.

University Management, the Crisis Management Team, and the University Medical Center continue to strongly encourage all members of RWTH to get a booster vaccination at the recommended interval. Individuals who have not yet been vaccinated are urged to take up a vaccination offer as soon as possible!

Since the University Medical Center is currently supplied with both BioNTech and the mRNA vaccine Spikevax from the manufacturer Moderna, booster vaccinations are now also being offered to all employees and students who are under 30.

Please use the booking portal, which you can find at https://ecampus.rwth-aachen.de/units/hsa to reserve an appointment.  Employees need their personnel number to book an appointment, while students need their student ID number. If you do not know it, you can find it in the RWTH Selfservice under RWTH Data.

Please contact

• the University Medical Center regarding any medical questions, COVID-19-Hotline: +4924180-38777
• the IT-ServiceDesk if you have any technical issues,
• the relevant HR department if you have any questions about your personnel number, and
• the Registrar’s Office if you have any questions about your student ID number.

Please note the following important guidelines:

• Make sure you bring the necessary documents for primary immunization with you to the arranged vaccination appointment. The University Medical Center can only give proper medical advice if such documents are at hand.
• If you are unable to keep your appointment or have already made an appointment elsewhere, please send the University Medical Center an email at coronaimpfung@hsa.rwth-aachen.de immediately. Please do not make multiple bookings under any circumstances.
• The University Medical Center posts new appointment slots on a regular basis. If there are currently no appointments available to book, please keep checking back.

In addition to the vaccinations offered by the University Medical Center, I would like to draw your attention to the following information pages on vaccination services in the area:

• Overview of Medical Practices Offering Vaccinations Provided by Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Nordrhein https://coronaimpfung.nrw/impfregister
• Vaccination Opportunities provided by Städteregion Aachen:
  • Vaccination Office in the Aachen Health Department https://www.staedteregion-aachen.de/de/navigation/aemter/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit-s-13/aktuelles/impfung-im-gesundheitsamt
  • Vaccination sites in municipalities belonging to Städteregion Aachen: https://www.staedteregion-aachen.de/de/navigation/aemter/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit-s-13/aktuelles/impfstellen-in-den-staedten-und-gemeinden
• Vaccination Opportunities in the District of Heinsberg: https://service.kreis-heinsberg.de/dienstleistungen-a-z/-/egov-bis-detail/dienstleistung/163843/show
• Vaccination Opportunities in the District of Düren: https://www.kreis-dueren.de/aktuelles/corona/impfzentrum.php

In addition, please note that Städteregion Aachen is offering a vaccination service at RWTH for everyone aged 18 and older. You will find the next sessions at http://www.rwth-aachen.de/coronaimpfung.

Due to the Corona pandemic, the shortage of blood reserves to supply patients in the StädteRegion Aachen has become much more acute. For the University Hospital of RWTH Aachen and the StädteRegion Aachen, this means that the care of seriously ill and injured people can only be guaranteed with the participation of the citizens of the StädteRegion Aachen. All RWTH employees between the ages of 18 and 65 are encouraged to donate blood regularly and also to promote it among their friends and acquaintances.

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