Message to staff from the Senior Vice-Principal - Monday 02 march 2020
Dear colleague,
You will be aware of the heightened attention around Coronavirus (Covid-19) with the first confirmed case in Scotland, more cases reported in England over the weekend and a meeting today of the UK Government’s emergency Cobra committee.
This is a fast-changing situation that we are monitoring closely and one where the University is taking its lead on its approach from advice provided by national agencies. We have established a coronavirus webpage which will be updated daily.
To ensure we are as prepared as possible we have also set up a University Coronavirus Steering Group to consider and co-ordinate the institutional response to issues arising from Covid-19. This group will meet daily. A series of smaller sub-groups have also been established to report to the Steering Group on key areas as follows:
- Student and Staff Wellbeing Response Group will look at issues related to student and staff health and wellbeing, including the response if any student or staff member is diagnosed
- Learning and Teaching Group will respond to academic issues that may arise from Covid-19
- Travel Group will consider issues regarding student and staff travel
- Research Group will cover potential impacts on research
- Events Group will plan for possible impacts on non-curricular student and staff events, including graduations
Questions for these groups or concerning the virus generally should be directed to the following email address: coronavirus@abdn.ac.uk.
Our intention is to continue to operate as normal as far as possible, while remaining in line with government advice. It is possible that some activities may be affected, and this will be managed by the Steering Group and the subgroups above.
If you have travel plans – whether business such as attending a conference or leading a field trip or personal – you should consult Government travel advice and plan accordingly and link in your Head of School / Director.
As the EU is reported to have raised the risk of infection from moderate to high, please familiarise yourself with the NHS guidelines regarding Covid-19. Guidance and information, including links to guidance for travellers and the general public, can also be found on HPS’ Covid-19 page.
Common symptoms of coronavirus include:
- high temperature or fever
- cough
- shortness of breath
Updates on public health advice for coronavirus can also be found on the NHS Inform website, and a free helpline has been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice: 0800 028 2816.
For anyone who is planning to travel abroad, guidance can be found on fitfortravel. Where a COVID-19 risk is identified, country pages will be updated.
Best wishes
Karl
Professor Karl Leydecker
Chair of the University’s Coronavirus Covid-19 Steering Group
Senior Vice-Principal