Unless otherwise specified in the text, the following measures are effective on all campuses beginning May 23, 2022 (view summary page here).
General health measures
Hygiene
Hand washing on arrival and several times a day and disinfection of shared surfaces after use are recommended.
Ventilation
It is advisable to ventilate the premises as often as possible according to the following basic recommendations:
- Ventilate continuously or every 1.5 hours by opening windows and doors before activities (10-15 minutes), at breaks (5 minutes minimum) and after activities (10-15 minutes);
- Prefer learning or assessment activities of maximum 3 hours continuously in the same room;
- Keep windows (at least two if there are several) and doors ajar during activities and fully open during breaks;
- If window vents are present (e.g. grilles), ensure that they are operational and open;
- Keep windows and external doors ajar, if possible.
Several auditoriums are already equipped with air quality (CO2) monitoring devices. The list of these auditoriums with, for each one, the ideal reception capacity to guarantee the air quality is available here.
The ventilation strategy at UCLouvain follows the ventilation recommendations of the Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles circular and can be found on this page.
Health measures by type of activity
Work and work meetings
Face-to-face work is the norm, notwithstanding the structural telework agreed in the current agreement.
Learning and evaluation activities
All learning and assessment activities can be delivered face-to-face and at full capacity. When co-modality makes sense and is useful, it can be a modality validated by the relevant programme committee.
Internships, activities in laboratories and activities with practical gestures take place in compliance with the sanitary rules in force in the sector concerned.
Scientific and other professionel events
Scientific and other professional events take place without any particular restriction.
As a reminder, an activity that occupies the public space requires a municipal authorization, and this is not linked to sanitary measures:
Extracurricular student activities
Extra-curricular student activities take place in accordance with procedures.
Infrastructure access
Libraries and Learning Centers
Details are available on the website of the libraries and learning centres: https://uclouvain.be/fr/bibliotheques/actualites/mesures-coronavirus.html.
University restaurants
Details are available on the Restos U website.
Musée L
Details are available on the Musée L website.
International
Staff business travel
The following provisions also apply to PhD students, who are, for the purposes of international mobility, considered staff members irrespective of their source of funding.
Business travel is permitted provided that at the time of booking transport and accommodation AND at the time of departure:
- Belgian Foreign Affairs authorises travel abroad for scientific and/or educational purposes (https://diplomatie.belgium.be);
- the countries of destination and transit, if any, authorise the entry into their territory of persons coming from Belgium for the purpose of scientific and/or educational activities (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/Services/voyager_a_letranger/conseils_par_destination).
Travellers should follow the health measures in force in the host country and on return to Belgium (including Covid-19 testing and quarantine provisions), see https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr.
As a reminder, UCLouvain’s insurance policies do not cover the consequences of an illness abroad. It is therefore important to check the conditions of coverage in the destination country with one’s
mutual insurance agency, health care insurer, hospitalisation insurer, life insurer or any other organisation that would intervene on one’s behalf.
Belgian travellers are strongly advised to register at https://travellersonline.diplomatie.be/ to take advantage of local consular services. It is also advisable to ensure that the mandatory quarantine conditions on return do not interfere with planned professional activities.
Note that the usual procedure for business travel to risk countries (including for reasons other than Covid-19) still applies. Therefore, any travel to an area considered a red zone by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/, see the map at the bottom of the “security” tab) requires authorisation from the rector (see: https://intranet.uclouvain.be/fr/myucl/administrations/adfi/voyages-a-l-etranger-0.html).
Student travels as part of an academic activity
Study trips are allowed within and outside Europe, subject to:
verification that mobility is appropriate in view of the health situation in the destination country and the risks involved;
- the agreement of the UCLouvain faculty and the host institution (if applicable);
- and at the time of booking flights and accommodation AND at the time of departure:
- Belgian Foreign Affairs authorises travel abroad for scientific and/or educational purposes (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr);
- the countries of destination and transit, if any, authorise the entry into their territory of persons coming from Belgium for the purpose of scientific and/or educational activities (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/Services/voyager_a_letranger/conseils_par_destination).
Attention
Students interested in mobility should contact their faculty to check all the departure conditions.
Note that departure restrictions independent of the Covid-19 health situation may apply (e.g. war risk areas).
When departure is authorised, it is essential to:
- take out travel insurance adapted to global health circumstances;
- register at https://travellersonline.diplomatie.be/ to benefit from local consular services (for Belgian nationals);
- follow the health measures in force in the host country and on return to Belgium (including Covid-19 test and quarantine provisions), see https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr.
Further information for students: https://intranet.uclouvain.be/fr/myucl/administrations/adri/restrictions-destination-etudiant.html.
Further information for student mobility officers: https://intranet.uclouvain.be/fr/myucl/administrations/adri/restrictions-destination-etudiant.html.
Welcoming persons from abroad
International students and visitors are welcome. Their access to the territory will depend on border control in their country, in transit countries and in Belgium.
They will follow the health measures in force at the University and in Belgium (including possible self-quarantine measures, see https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/ and https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/covid-19/international-travels).
It is important to ensure that the inviting party sends institutional information on the measures taken to limit the spread of the virus and the possibilities of access to care in Belgium. We count on the collaboration of everyone to help make this information accessible.
Staff returning from abroad
Staff members returning from abroad are urged to respect the recommendations issued by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Additional information
To avoid the spread of the Coronavirus, it is important to get tested at the slightest symptom and not to go to auditoriums or offices while sick. It is possible to generate a CPTC code that allows you to be tested by completing a self-assessment form.
When a staff member shows symptoms of COVID and/or is found to be a carrier of the virus, he or she is no longer able to come to the workplace and immediately informs his or her supervisor of the absence. If telecommuting is not possible, the staff member must be incapacitated for work, justified by a medical certificate.
When a student tests positive for COVID, he or she must follow the rules in force (https://www.info-coronavirus.be/fr/) and inform the university (via this form).
Fragile persons or those who have been in close contact with infected persons are invited to contact their attending physician to find out what measures to take.
SERP (Service de sécurité et de radioprotection) is responsible for observing the proper application of the above provisions and can also provide advice on request and on site regarding the implementation of the above measures and the possible use of protective screens (contact: personnel-sante@uclouvain.be).
Contact and additional information:
- General information: www.uclouvain.be/covid
- Bachelor’s and master’s students with health-related questions: aide-sante@uclouvain.be
- PhD students and staff with health-related questions: personnel-sante@uclouvain.be