Our response to Coronavirus

These are extraordinary times. In these pages you’ll find out how Marjon is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we’ll ensure that no matter what comes our way, we will always put students first. We will prioritise your safety, your belonging in our community and your long term success. For the last 180 years we’ve offered personalised, innovative teaching that puts students first. We’re not stopping now.

Please scroll down for FAQs on test and trace, symptoms and self-isolating

Update on COVID-19 safety measures - 23 September 2020

There have been several recent announcements from the government. This statement is to clarify the university position. You can read the latest guidance released from the government here.

Operating level

The university has 5 COVID operating levels, and we are currently on level 3. These levels describe the specific approach that we will take across teaching and learning, facilities, and who is on campus. We are constantly monitoring our approach depending on the national guidance, legislation and local situation. We continue to be carefully compliant with all Government advice.

Socialising and the rule of six

As a principle, we want to run safe, socially distanced events on campus rather than encourage students to leave campus. We have run evening barbecues, daytime activities and Student Union events, all socially distanced, and we appreciate the support from students and staff in helping everyone to maintain social distancing.

Our tables on campus (in Barjon, the marquee and the Hub Restaurant for example) only seat up to six people, with chairs socially distanced. Although students might live in houses larger than six, we are only allowing groups of up to six to sit together or congregate together. At all times staff and students must remain socially distanced from people they do not live with.
Our events are now ending by 10pm in line with new laws, and bars will close.
Customers in hospitality venues must wear face coverings except when seated at a table to eat or drink.
Barjon and the Hub restaurant continue to offer takeaway services, with encouragement to order on the Time2Eat app and then pick up food when it is ready. Tables will continue to be available to sit and eat, and will be cleaned down after each person has used them. We are introducing a table booking system in the Hub restaurant.

Access to campus

Library, Chaplaincy and Postgraduate Research Hub remain open. You are still very welcome to come to campus to study, following all the safety protocols.

Test and trace

We have a test and trace system on campus, which uses an app to scan QR codes. If you are studying or working on campus, we request that you download the app in order to register your presence. The app you need to download is Microsoft PowerApps, choosing Marjon Test and Trace system, and you can register using your normal Marjon email address and password. You can find instructions on the QR code posters on campus.

The national test and trace app is now available nationally, and we have QR code posters on campus should you wish to use this app.

Working from home - staff

Guidance has changed from that previously issued, stating that office workers who can work from home should now do so. We were already following the practice of restricting presence on campus, with people who can work from home remaining at home, and staff only present on campus to support the numbers of students we now have on site, to deliver teaching, and where work cannot be delivered from home. It is important that if you can work from home you should. If you are unsure what this means for you, please check with your line manager.

Indoor sport

Changes to indoor sports have been announced, which mean that indoor sport for people over 18 is no longer exempt from the rule of six. This does not affect teaching, but it does affect some social sport activities.

Risks and penalties

We want to use this opportunity to remind the Marjon community of the risks of not following the law: not only a risk to health, but also higher risk of being asked to self-isolate due to being exposed to the virus, and a risk of a fixed penalty notice from the police.

Please note that the legal penalties for failing to wear a face covering or breaking the rule of six can be £200 for a first offence, with penalties of up to £10,000 for those who fail to self-isolate, or who organise gatherings that break the rule of six. In addition to legal penalties, you may also be subject to our student misconduct proceedings.

These new restrictions are difficult for all of us, often in very different ways. We encourage all of you to keep looking out for each other, to spot loneliness and to keep conversations going. Whilst this is hard, it will pass, and if we all follow these rules, we stand more chance of keeping the virus away from our campus, and protecting our community.

FAQs around test and trace, symptoms and self-isolating

What do I do if I have symptoms?

If you develop symptoms, you must:

isolate immediately, along with your household
book a test by calling 119 or booking on the NHS site
email coronavirus@marjon.ac.uk to let us know.

When do I need to self-isolate?

You need to self-isolate (stay in your residence and not leave) if:

you have been contacted by Public Health England or the University and asked to self-isolate,
or if you live with someone with symptoms,
or if you have symptoms yourself.

If you are isolating, whether with symptoms or because you’ve been in contact with someone else, please email coronavirus@marjon.ac.uk to let us know.

What if I live with someone who has been asked to isolate by Test & Trace?

You do not need to isolate, unless they have symptoms. If they have symptoms, they will need to book a test and you will need to isolate too.

What if someone on my course, in a classroom with me or other environment with me has tested positive?

You do not need to isolate, unless you are a close contact.
Positive tests will be asked for their close contacts, and those contacts will be contacted by national Test & Trace and asked to isolate.
However you may know this before Test & Trace reach you, in which case see below for the definition of close contact.

What is a close contact?

A close contact means someone who:

spends significant time in the same household
is a sexual partner
has had face-to-face contact (within one metre), including:
being coughed on
having skin-to-skin physical contact, or
contact within one metre for one minute
has been within 2 metres of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes
has travelled in a small vehicle, or in a large vehicle or plane

If you feel sure you are a close contact of a positive case (rather than just a person with symptoms) but haven’t yet been contacted, you may need to isolate: please email coronavirus@marjon.ac.uk for advice.

What if I have been in close contact with someone with symptoms, who is awaiting a test or test results?

When someone first develops symptoms and orders a test, they will be encouraged to alert the people that they have had close contact with in the 48 hours before symptom onset.

Close contacts at this stage do not need to self-isolate unless requested to do so by NHS Test and Trace, the University or a public health professional, but they should:

avoid contact with people at high increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus, such as people with pre-existing medical conditions
take extra care in practising social distancing and good hygiene
watch out for symptoms and self-isolate if they also show signs of coronavirus

You can read more on close contacts here

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