The following measures apply on all campuses as of 19 April 2021 (view the summary table here) :
Alert level 4 : general health measures
Measures related to mask-wearing, physical distancing and hygiene are specified on these pages.
Alert level 4 : measures in force
General working conditions
Workplace
Teleworking is compulsory for the functions that lend themselves to it and with respect for the continuity of the University's missions. If it cannot be implemented, the rules of physical distance must be respected.
Research activities, including dissertations and internships, activities in support of research and teaching, as well as activities of service to society which cannot be carried out at a distance, are continued with strict respect for health rules and physical distance.
Teaching activities are carried out in accordance with the occupancy arrangements for the premises set out below.
Certain missions and activities, including those in general services, require the maintenance of an indispensable face-to-face presence. Responsibility for the organisation of the latter rests with the hierarchical line.
Cafeteria access
Access to the cafeterias and social areas is allowed as long as there is only one person in the space at a time.
Elevators
Not recommended when there is an alternative.
Group activities
Working (including committee) meetings
Work meetings are held at a distance.
Learning and evaluation activities
- Learning and assessment activities can take place face-to-face or at a distance.
- When learning activities take place at a distance, the teacher may be alone in the audience (for example, if he or she needs to use a board, equipment or the poly studio system).
- Face-to-face learning and assessment activities may not involve more than 20% of students simultaneously. Each faculty determines which learning and assessment activities take place face-to-face, aiming for this limit but respecting it and ensuring that all students can benefit from face-to-face activities by the end of the academic year. For the calculation of the 20%, all learning and assessment activities are taken into account (initial and in-service training, remediation, practical exercises, lectures, written or oral examinations, etc.).
- When learning or assessment activities take place face-to-face, the auditoria and classrooms are occupied in accordance with the following rules: the premises cannot accommodate more than 200 people and people keep a minimum physical distance of 1.5 m from each other.
- When learning or assessment activities take place face-to-face, the laboratories and practical work rooms equipped with specific equipment are occupied in compliance with the health rules applicable in the sector of activity.
- Activities with practical gestures are carried out in compliance with the rules applicable to the sector of activity concerned.
- When learning or assessment activities take place face-to-face outdoors in the UCLouvain enclosure, people take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the rules on physical distance.
- The activities that take place outside on the public field can only bring together a maximum of 10 people with respect to safety distances.
- The internships take place in compliance with the regulations applicable to the workplace where the internships take place.
- The activities with practical gestures are carried out in compliance with the rules applicable to the sector of activity concerned.
- In the case of a face-to-face activity, masks must be worn by both students and teachers. When the wearing of a mask or any other fabric alternative is not possible for medical reasons, a face shield must be used. Persons who, due to a situation of disability attested by a medical certificate, are unable to wear a mask, a fabric alternative or a face shield, are exempted from wearing a mask or a face shield alternative.
- The flow of movements is in accordance with the signage.
- A maximum of 3 hours of activities can be organized continuously in the same room.
- Wherever possible, room doors are kept open to reduce the use of handles and to ventilate the room.
- General health measures must be observed: hand hygiene, ventilation of premises, disinfection of equipment and surfaces after use and cleaning of premises.
Scientific and other professionel events (including thesis defences)
Extracurricular student activities in UCLouvain buildings and other buildings
Extra-academic student activities are suspended.
Catering
Receptions and banquets organised by a caterer or catering service are suspended.
Infrastructure access
Buildings
Authorised subject to respecting health measures.
Libraries and Learning Centers
Access is permitted by wearing a mask and keeping a physical distance of 1.5 m. For more information, the access modalities (including schedules) are specified on the libraries and Learning Centers website.
Computer labs
Access is permitted by wearing a mask and maintaining a physical distance of 1.5 m.
MuséeL
See MuséeL website.
International
Staff business travel
Business travel is permitted as long as BOTH at the time of flight and lodging reservations AND of departure:
- Belgian Foreign Affairs authorises travel abroad for scientific and/or educational activities (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en)
- the countries of destination and transit authorise persons coming from Belgium to enter the territory for scientific and/or educational activities (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/Services/voyager_a_letranger/conseils_par_destination)
Persons travelling must follow the health measures in force in the host country and on their return to Belgium (including the provisions relating to COVID testing and quarantine), see https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en.
As a reminder, UCLouvain's insurance policies do not cover the consequences of an illness abroad. It is therefore important to check with your mutual insurance company, your health care, hospitalisation or life insurer or any other organisation that may be able to help you, to find out the conditions of cover in the country of destination.
It is strongly recommended that Belgian travellers register at https://travellersonline.diplomatie.be to benefit from local consular services. It is also recommended to buy travel insurance adapted to global health circumstances and to ensure that the conditions of mandatory quarantine on return do not interfere with professional activities.
Note that the usual procedure for business trips to countries at risk (including for reasons other than the coronavirus) remains in place. Consequently, any movement in 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 map at bottom of ‘security’ tab) requires the rector’s authorisation (cf. intranet: https://intranet.uclouvain.be/fr/myucl/administrations/adfi/voyages-al-etranger-0.html).
The provisions above also apply to PhD students, who are, in terms of international mobility, considered staff regardless of their funding source.
Study trips abroad
Study trips carried out as part of an exchange programme, a joint degree, an internship-type course unit or data collection for a master thesis are authorised in Europe, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, United States, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Uruguay subject to:
- agreement between a UCLouvain faculty and host institution (if applicable)
- at BOTH the time of flight and lodging reservations AND at departure
- Belgian Foreign Affairs authorises travel abroad for study (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en)
- the countries of destination and transit authorise persons coming from Belgium to enter the territory for study reasons (https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/Services/voyager_a_letranger/conseils_par_destination)
Students travelling on the above-mentioned trips must follow the health measures in force in the host country and on their return to Belgium (including the provisions relating to COVID testing and quarantine), see https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en.
Class trips abroad are suspended.
Study trips outside the above conditions may be considered on a case-by-case basis if justified by exceptional circumstances. Such trips require specific authorisation, the procedure for which has been specified to the faculties.
Students participating in a mobility programme are invited to contact their faculty to verify departure conditions. Belgian student travellers are strongly encouraged to register at https://travellersonline.diplomatie.be to benefit from local consular services.
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://diplomatie.belgium.be/en) and at the university.
It is important to ensure that hosts provide institutional information on the measures taken to limit the spread of the virus and the possibilities of access to healthcare in Belgium. We are counting on the collaboration of everyone to help make this information accessible.
Staff returning from abroad
Staff returning from abroad are asked to comply with the recommendations issued by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Additional information
When a staff member experiences COVID-19 symptoms and/or tests positive, the staff member can no longer go to the workplace, and must immediately inform the supervisor of their absence. If teleworking is not possible, the staff member must submit a medical certificate of incapacity of work.
When a student tests positive for COVID, he or she must be placed in isolation for a minimum of 10 days and inform the university of his or her positivity by filling out this form.
Susceptible persons or those who have been in close contact with infected persons should contact their physician/doctor to see what arrangements should be made.
The Radiation Protection and Safety Department (SERP) will monitor the application of the above provisions and can provide on-site advice by request regarding the implementation of the above measures and use of protective screens (contact: personnel-sante@uclouvain.be).
For further information
- UCLouvain information page: https://uclouvain.be/fr/info-coronavirus
- Bachelor’s and master’s programme students: aide-sante@uclouvain.be
- PhD students and staff: personnel-sante@uclouvain.be