Studying, working, learning, eating

Daily infection rates remain high, and new variants of the coronavirus, which are more easily transmitted from person to person, are exacerbating the incidence of infection: On January 5, 2021, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the new resolutions by the federal and state governments. What do they mean for the University of Freiburg?

Photo: Sandra Meyndt 

The nationwide lockdown that came into force in mid-December 2020 has unfortunately not yet brought the desired results. The tense situation is also expressed in the resolutions adopted by the federal and state governments, which Chancellor Angela Merkel presented at the beginning of January. The lockdown will not only be extended until January 31, 2021, but actually tightened. Each state will now issue specific regulations on the guidelines agreed by the federal and state governments. This is not expected to happen in Baden-Württemberg until this weekend.

We expect that the current regulations on study operations, which were issued by the state of Baden-Württemberg in December of last year, will largely remain in place," says Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein. Dr. Petra Markmeyer-Pieles, head of the Safety Department, adds that the current situation is unlikely to lead to a relaxation of the measures. For the University of Freiburg, this means that even after January 11, 2021, face-to-face teaching will remain suspended for the most part, and only those events or exams that are not possible in digital formats and have been approved by the rectorate will take place in face-to-face. The hygiene regulations and phase 5 of the phase plan will continue to apply.

Due to the state's current Corona Ordinance Study Operations, the University also had to close all libraries, sports facilities and athletic facilities to study operations and public traffic. "So far, we have no information from the state as to whether these regulations will also be extended further," Markmeyer-Pieles says.

Scan service and home office

However, the University Library (UB) provides its users with the necessary literature in other ways: Members of the University can order articles from journals and collective works from the holdings of the UB and the subject libraries via the scan service. They also have the option of requesting books from the UB's borrowable holdings by the postal service. The Rempartstraße and Natural Sciences campus dining halls will again offer take-out lunches starting January 11.

For employees in research, teaching, administration, service and technology, the following will continue to apply from January 11: If home office should not be possible, employees can work on-site again - also taking into account the protective measures that already applied before the holidays. These are summarized in the University' hygiene regulations. Home office arrangements are made by employees in consultation with their supervisors. "We will of course inform all members by e-mail as well as on our website immediately after the publication of the new legal requirements in Baden-Württemberg," emphasizes the rector.

Rimma Gerenstein

Corona – Information on how to deal with the pandemic