Recommendations concerning the coronavirus SARS-COV-2 infection epidemic

• It is a disease caused by a new type of coronavirus that was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019.
• It is transmitted through the respiratory tract, by small drops of saliva that are expelled when coughing or sneezing. It is also transmitted by contact with contaminated objects.
• Direct contact between the infected person's respiratory secretions and the other person's mucous membranes (nose, mouth, eyes) is required for infection to take place. Airborne transmission over distances of over one to two metres seems unlikely.
• The incubation period is between two and fourteen days.

Generic personal protection measures include:

• Washing your hands frequently with soap and water for about 40 seconds, or with an alcohol-based hand rub and drying your hands with paper. The University has equipped all buildings with disinfectant alcoholic solutions, located in the secretaries' offices of the faculties, the libraries and in the receptions of the main entrances. A sign has been placed at each entrance giving details of the location of the nearest dispenser.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, using either disposable handkerchiefs or the inside of your elbow.
• Do not share food or utensils (cutlery, glasses, napkins, handkerchiefs, pens, pencils) without cleaning them thoroughly beforehand.
• Ventilate workplaces, changing the air regularly, by opening doors and windows.
• Avoid coming into close contact with people who have symptoms of influenza or cold.
• No special precautions are required with animals and food in Catalonia.

The University's cleaning service will thoroughly clean items in general use such as door handles, telephones, tables, railings and microphones.

The most common symptoms (in 80% of cases) are mild, and may resemble those of flu, such as general malaise, fever and coughing.

There may be a feeling of shortness of breath in moderate cases. The infection can cause pneumonia, renal failure, and other complications in the most severe cases.

Could I be affected by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

Anyone in the university community who thinks they may be affected should follow the instructions below:

• Access the CatSalut website and take the online test: Could I be affected by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?
• If necessary, contact CatSalut (telephone 061) and follow the instructions given to you exactly.
• Follow the instructions of medical professionals regarding recommendations for treatment and confinement.
• If you are infected or need to self-isolate, notify the University:
  • Students must notify the coordinators of their studies, or their faculty's head of studies, who will inform the dean's office.
  • International students on a mobility stay must notify the Faculty's head of International Relations, who will inform the International Relations Unit, the head of studies and the dean's office.
  • Members of the teaching and research staff must notify their head of department, who will inform the dean's office.
  • Members of the administrative and services staff must notify their area manager, who will inform the General Manager's Office.

In all cases, the Dean's Office or the General Manager's Office will contact the Occupational Hazards Prevention area and the Office of the General Secretary of the University in order to undertake appropriate monitoring with the health authorities, and at the same time jointly decide whether to implement special restrictive measures.

If a member of the university community has been confirmed as having the disease, they must:

• Follow the instructions of medical professionals regarding recommendations for treatment and confinement.
• Notify the University of the situation following the procedures described in section 4.

The provision of alternative work spaces or teleworking is recommended for at-risk workers and/or other justified cases. The work to be done will be coordinated with their immediate manager.

The highest risk group are the elderly and those with chronic diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, liver, renal and pulmonary diseases) and those subject to immunosuppression processes (due to illness or treatment).

Please contact the Occupational Welfare and Safety unit, which will be coordinating with the Talent Policies area, in the event of any doubt.

Students must notify the coordinators of their studies, or their faculty's head of studies, who will inform the dean's office.

Follow the instructions in section 4.

No action is required if no symptoms appear.

If a person who is suspected or confirmed as having the disease is at the university, the situation must be reported using the channels described in section 4.

Travel should be restricted as much as possible while this health alert continues in order to prevent transmission and contagion. Only essential journeys and/or trips that cannot be postponed should be undertaken.

Journeys to high risk countries (mainland China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Iran and Italy) will be suspended.

People who nevertheless need to travel for activities that they consider cannot be postponed must notify the Dean's Office/Area Management and the International Relations Office in advance, so that people travelling can be monitored at all times.

Students at the University who have travelled to a university located in a country or region at risk as part of a mobility programme must follow the instructions of their local health authorities at all times. If the Spanish health authorities issue advice that means they must return immediately or suspend their work, the Faculty in which the student is registered will be responsible for providing the necessary support for their return journey, with the support and coordination of the International Relations Office. Students who voluntarily end their stay or do so on the instructions of the health authorities will be given the opportunity to continue their studies and evaluation processes in the appropriate faculty.

The Spanish Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia advise against travelling to the areas with community transmission listed on the following website:

https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/areas.htm

A person arriving from the epidemic area or who has been in contact with a person with a confirmed infection must stay at home to work or study by distance learning for 14 days. The tasks to be performed must be agreed with the supervisor or lecturer. This applies to all members of the university community.

Guests arriving from epidemic areas must not come to the University at this time. These visits will be replaced by online meetings.

Authorities in various countries have taken steps to restrict people's mobility and movement.Internships in healthcare centres have also been cancelled.

Those coming from areas with community transmission, listed on the following website:

https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/areas.htm

Academic area

Apply the academic protocol designed by the Office of the Vice-rector for Academic Affairs shared with the faculties.

Health area

• Contact and provide health information and updates on the situation at the University.
• Follow the instructions given in points 10 and 11.

Because of the unprecedented nature of the epidemic infection, and in response to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia and instructions from several centres hosting students doing internships, the following activities are suspended:

• UVic-UCC will suspend all their academic activities (see the statement from 12.03.2020 on top of the page)
• Curricular and extracurricular internships, as well as other curricular activities for students.
• Internships in non-healthcare areas of health centres (e.g. administration departments) will continue as long as the host centre does not indicate otherwise.
• Classes that involve facilities belonging to another institution (e.g. the municipal council) that has decided to close them will be suspended. Efforts will be made to provide teaching in another classroom or in a non-classroom format in these cases.
• Extra-academic activities that involve significant numbers of people:
  • Annual Festival
  • Campus Market
  • Gent Gran Lifelong Learning for the Elderly
  • Events of the Emboirats castellers group
  • Sports activities, in coordination with the federations concerned for sports competitions.
  • Activities aimed at external users with high risk groups.

The Office of the Vice-rector for Academic Affairs has an Academic Contingency Plan to deal with issues arising from the suspension of academic activities.

No conferences or public events, especially involving the attendance of external users should take place until further notice.

The use of videoconferencing must be prioritised at all times to avoid travel and crowds.

See section 9.

All curricular and extracurricular internships for students are suspended.

See the initial declarations.

See the initial declarations.

Academic aspects

The instructions guide will be applied for teachers to temporarily make classroom sessions into online activities for use if necessary.

Work issues

The measures to be taken will be determined by the Rector's Office and the Directorate General of the FUB and agreed upon with the Health and Safety Committee, following instructions from the health authority. When these measures affect university services, they will be governed by the following criteria:

• Faculty and administration and service staff may continue to attend the workplace, except in duly justified situations.
• Tools will be provided to encourage teleworking among those unable to attend. Specific instructions will be provided in this case, and the procedure will be agreed upon with the area or academic managers to create the least possible impact on work.
• Area managers must ensure that a distance of at least 1.5 m between work areas is always maintained in open spaces with more than 10 people.Work areas must also be ventilated regularly. At the same time, workers must be reminded of the steps necessary to maximise the personal protection measures set out in point 2.
• The provision of alternative work spaces or teleworking is recommended for at-risk workers and/or other justified cases. These cases must be reported to the Occupational Welfare and Safety Unit, and will be coordinated with the Talent Policies Area.

UVic-UCC is not currently considering this measure given the current risk situation, and based on instructions from the health authorities.

In the hypothetical situation of a risk of contagion requiring exceptional measures such as the closure of one or more of the buildings, this will require:

• The General Management and the General Manager's Office, in coordination with the Health and Safety Committee, to implement the extraordinary measures necessary to guarantee the minimum services during periods when it is necessary to take special measures to restrict activities or closures.
• The General Management and the General Manager's Office to carry out the necessary coordination measures with the maintenance and security companies to ensure the proper operation in the event of a closure of facilities.