Corona update: Measures at the CAU until February 14

Dear University Members,

As you know, in an early meeting last Tuesday, the Federal and State Governments agreed to extend the current lockdown beyond January 31 until February 14, and to further tighten the contact reduction measures. The aim of the measures is to accelerate the decline in the incidence of infection, and to prevent the spread of the particularly contagious viral mutation in Germany that occurred in Great Britain.

The agreed measures basically include the continuation of the closure of day-care centres and schools, an extended mask requirement in public transport and in shops, as well as stricter occupational health and safety regulations. The measures affect us all in our private lives as well as in our studies and at work at the CAU.

Numerous new or updated ordinances from the federal government, the state of Schleswig-Holstein and our Ministry of Science apply to implementation. We summarise their effects on the CAU below and also refer to supplementary information that you can already find here on CAU's Corona website or that will be updated there shortly.

However, I would like to begin with the repeated and urgent appeal that we continue to treat each other with understanding. Let us always be aware that all groups at the CAU are affected by the pandemic and its restrictions that are burdened by them. We must recognise these burdens and take into account that working and studying under corona conditions is subject to restrictions despite the considerable efforts of each individual.

All members of the CAU who look after children or care for relatives are particularly burdened by the current lockdown. In order to give you a better overview of existing individual support options and the respective contact persons, the information and counselling services previously prepared for the various target groups have been brought together on the Corona website. There you will also find e.g. information on the extended children's sickness benefit. Information for families

Unfortunately, it is still the case that the multiple burdens for families in everyday work can hardly be alleviated, so that it remains important to recognise the burdens and restrictions, and to take them into account realistically and with accommodation in professional and other university interactions. In this respect, please show mutual understanding for the fact that the quality and quantity of the work cannot always meet the usual standards.

The risk of contracting the coronavirus on site or on the way to the workplace is to be reduced by making it compulsory for private and public employers to offer home offices and by introducing stricter occupational health and safety regulations. To this end, the Federal Ministry of Labour issued a "SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance". At the CAU, it has been possible in principle to work in a home office since the first lockdown in March. If this is not possible due to the nature of the duties, numerous other organisational and technical options have been established to minimise contacts, and thus risks of infection, when working on site.  Information on home office and working on site

All supervisors are called upon to review in detail whether the on-site presence can be further reduced. Wherever work has to be done on site, supervisors must prepare risk assessments that also specify the respective technical, organisational or personal protective measures. Information and support is available from the CAU safety engineers.

Masks are still compulsory in and directly in front of all buildings at CAU until you reach your workplace, as well as in lectures. As before, all types of mouth-nose coverings are permitted. So-called "qualified" or "medical" masks, as will be required in public transport and in shops from tomorrow, only have to be worn at CAU where the minimum distance of 1.5m could fall below for a longer time and all other technical or organisational measures have been exhausted. Please clarify with your superiors whether this is the case for your workplace. Your superiors will find additional information on the above-mentioned information pages of the CAU safety engineers shortly.

Due to the current "Higher Education Corona Ordinance" and the Corona Higher Education Supplementary Ordinance (HEVO), teaching will continue to take place in digital form as a matter of principle. As before, practical courses that cannot be made up within the winter semester 20/21 and if, in addition, this would unavoidably delay the completion of studies are exempt from this. The minimum distance of 1.5m must be maintained at all times during the course. Except in practical sports courses, a mask must also be worn during the entire duration of the course.

The examinations in the upcoming 1st examination period (15.02.21 to 06.03.21) will be conducted online for the most part. Only in very few exceptional cases, a examination on site is permitted at all. Your examiners will inform you before the end of the registration period whether the type or form of your examinations will change. Please note that the above regulation will also apply to examinations scheduled after the first examination period resp. in the period from March to the start of lectures in mid-April 2021.

Since January 23, the following important regulations have also been in force:

• Granting a free attempt for failed examinations taken on or after January 23, provided they are online examinations or the type of examination has changed;
• The semester count is also suspended for the winter semester 20/21 (exemption semester regulation).

Furthermore, students who care for or look after children under the age of 14 and whose learning or examination situation is significantly impeded due to the closure of schools and day-care facilities will be allowed to take a free attempt on absolved and not-passed examinations in the winter semester 2020/21. We will inform teachers and students in the course of the coming week in the usual manner about the concrete form of these regulations as well as further details on the topic of studies and examinations.

The restrictions on the services of the CAU libraries remain in place, however, in the University Library the maximum number of media to be lended will be increased to 10 in the coming week. Information on the scope of services can be found on the websites of the University Library or the subject libraries.

The regulations already made in November 2020, to restrict contacts in university operations and to minimise the risk of infection, are extended until February 14:

• All university members must consistently observe the distance requirement and the knownhygiene rules throughout the campus.
• For meetings, sessions and interviews, digital formats or teleconferencing must continue to be used.
• Business trips to Germany and abroad shall continue not to be undertaken. Exceptions require the approval of the University Board in individual cases.
• The museums of the university, the university sports (except for lectures) and the canteens of the Studentenwerk will remain closed. The services of the counselling centres are available digitally or by telephone. Information at: www.uni-kiel.de/en/coronavirus/current-news/openings-closings.

Detailed information on all subject areas can be found here on CAU's Corona-Website.
If you have any questions, please contact corona@uni-kiel.de.
For students, Sandra Elstner is the contact person at selstner@uv.uni-kiel.de for general questions about studying in times of Corona as well as for challenges in this regard.

With kind regards
Claudia Ricarda Meyer, Chancellor