Corona: Information for Employees

Dear Goethe University employees: Below you will find information on corona-compatible occupational health and safety, which will of course be updated and extended as the situation develops.

• Work organisation
• Mouth-and-nose coverings
• Virtual teaching
• Committee work / work meetings
• Official travel
• Home quarantine

• Buildings
• University library
• Canteens
• Events

To the extent that their tasks and technical equipment allow, and as long as their physical presence at their workplace is not required, Goethe University employees should work remotely in in home office in coordination with their supervisor until further notice. Employees whose presence is required for the maintenance of teaching, administration and infrastructure operation may work on site at the university under strict observance of the RKI standards. This includes employees in technical operations and administration, researchers and university teaching staff. Researchers are requested to give priority to research work and tasks that can be carried out remotely or from home. For research projects on the campuses, RKI standards also apply. 

Before commencing work, employees must be briefed (see documentation form under information sheets and documents).

RKI regulations for working at computer/office work spaces and in laboratories  

• Until further notice, the SARS-CoV-2 occupational safety standards of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the standards in the corresponding instructions of the State of Hesse continue to apply to office and evaluation spaces: Office spaces, regardless of their previous occupancy, may only be occupied by one person. If capacities on site are not sufficient for this, alternating work should be organised: switching between working from the office and from home or remotely, as well as employees alternating their use of the office. 
  If occupancy by several employees is absolutely necessary for official reasons (maintaining operations and infrastructure / or of teaching and research), this is only possible with advance clearance from the university Occupational Safety Office. It must be reviewed in advance whether the use of additional technical protective measures is necessary, and whether the ventilation requirements can be complied with. Please direct your questions to krisenstab@uni-frankfurt.de. 
• Laboratory spaces may only occupied so that depending on their size, a distance of at least 2 metres is guaranteed.
• Office and laboratory spaces must be sufficiently ventilated, and/or be regularly aired; 
• Regular cleaning of surfaces and sanitation facilities must be ensured; 
• The personal measures for infection protection in accordance with the RKI provisions must be observed:
• • Hand hygiene (washing with soap for at least 20 seconds)
  • Keeping distance (at least 2 metres), 
  • Cough and sneezing etiquette (cough and sneeze into the crook of your arm). 

In those units that are necessary for maintaining emergency operations, effective substitute regulations must be made in coordination with supervisors. 

Risk Groups

Please take special note: special protective measures must be taken for employees who belong to a risk group. Please see this document for explanations on RKI risk groups. Please note: a risk evaluation is very complex, and an unambiguous designation of belonging to a risk group is therefore not possible. A medical evaluation in the form of a confirmation by doctor's certificate or attestation (issued by a specialist or family physician) is therefore is necessary. This is to be submitted to human resources on request. The doctor's attestation certifies that you are “a person with an increased risk for a severe COVID-19 disease progression" in accordance with the information and support by the RKI (German). The precise diagnosis should not be stated. The attestation will not be put on file.

Individuals with an increased risk for a severe COVID-19 disease progression may not have changing contacts with the general public / customers. It must be checked whether this can be ensured, for example by working alone in a single office or by alternating a workspace. It should also be checked whether working remotely or from home is feasible. If these measures are ruled out, the employees in question are to be released from work.This also applies to employees who live in the same household with individuals in need of care. Parents of children who due to the closure of day-care facilities and schools are unable to organise care for their children may also work remotely or from home in consultation with their immediate supervisor. Special regulations also apply for employees who are pregnant (PDF, German)

Childcare

Despite regular operations in childcare facilities and schools, many parents are still obliged to take care of their children on a greater scale. The option of working from home or remotely in coordination with one's supervisor continues therefore to be the preferred choice in such cases. If, due to (partial) closures, you cannot perform your work or can only do so partially due to the care situation, a (partial) release from work is possible under certain conditions. You can find the process flow including the corresponding requirements and necessary documentation here (German).

Forms (German):

• Certification of loss of school / childcare (German)
• Notification of loss of school / childcare (German) 

Illness

If you are ill and the submission of a certificate of incapacity on the third day of illness is currently not possible in time, it should be submitted as soon as possible. Failing to submit the initial or subsequent certificate will not result in disciplinary action for the time being. In the event of prolonged illness, however, it is important that the certificate of incapacity is submitted to the personnel services department in a timely manner to ensure the continued payment of salary. The submission of the certificates as a scan is acceptable as a temporary solution; the originals may be sent afterward by post. 

Home office / working remotely

According to the SARS-CoV-2 occupational safety standards of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs “Office work (...) is to be carried out from home if possible, especially if office spaces have to be used by several people with insufficient safety distance." Determining whether it is possible for tasks to be fulfilled from home or remotely must be done in consultation with one's supervisor. For remote work or work from home, the daily planned working time applies. Furthermore, it is possible to work in an office on site if the RKI standards are observed. If it is neither possible to work on site under observance of the RKI standards, nor from home or remotely, employees are to be sent home with pay until further notice. These rules also apply for work performed by auxiliary staff or student/research assistants.

Vacation

Vacation already approved is to be taken as planned – also for reasons of solidarity with other employees regarding the distribution of work and free time. There is no right of cancellation. In exceptional cases, a mutual agreement can be made between employees and supervisors for a different vacation period if that employee's work is urgently needed during the originally planned vacation period. 

Options provided by the University Computing Centre for using IT services from home: 

• Information from HRZ on using IT services from home
• Goethe University's Security Management Team (SMT) recommendations and best practices for using internet and online services

For those returning from international high-risk areas the following regulation applies:

An official at-home quarantine must be observed for 10 days. The quarantine may be lifted if an RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 taken five days after entry at the earliest has a negative result.

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Due the changed pandemic situation, the city of Frankfurt decreed through a change on 27 October 2020 to the general ruling that a mandate to wear a mouth-and-nose covering also extends to public spaces outside of buildings beginning immediately. This also applies to the open spaces on Goethe University’s Westend Campus. Here, too, the wearing of a mouth-and-nose covering is now mandatory for all persons on the premises.

In its updated Corona Regulation from Friday, 2 October 2020, the state of Hessen makes it mandatory to wear a mouth-and-nose covering inside Goethe University buildings. The obligation to wear mouth-and-nose protection exists until “fixed seating has been taken." Below please find a practical guideline for implementing the mouth-and-nose covering requirement in various work areas:

Libraries and warehouses: 

If a minimum distance of 1.5 metres is strictly observed, there is no requirement to wear a mouth-and nose covering

•   a. while carrying out work in sitting in offices or during meetings (once a seat has been taken)
•   b. in counter areas that are equipped with a protective transparent barrier 
•   c. in the warehouse areas 
•   d. in the workshops
•   e. for employees who are alone in an office, even if not sitting.

Even if a minimum distance of 1.5 metres is strictly observed a requirement to wear a mouth-and-nose covering exists 

•   a. when the employee leaves the work area (i.e., all areas named under 1.) 
•   b. until employees have taken their seats at a meeting 
•   c. when visiting another office / area (until taking a seat) 
•   d. when the work area is also used by others as a traffic area, such as when sorting books in front of elevators

Laboratories and workshops: 

• Workspaces in laboratories are to be standardly occupied so that while taking the areas for moving about into consideration, the minimum distance of 1.5 metres (or 2.5 m for work spaces opposite each other) can be reliably observed. Employees may remove their mouth-and-nose coverings once they have reached their workspace.
• Workspaces used by more than one employee (e.g., certain devices, function rooms) can only be used in alternation without a mouth-and-nose covering if their crossing pathways accommodate the minimum distance of 1.5 metres.
• The ongoing use of workspaces in which the minimum distance cannot be ensured is not allowed even with a mouth-and-nose covering. The short-term use of workspaces (e.g. elevators) in which the minimum distance cannot be observed is possible with a mouth-and-nose covering.
• All corridors are considered traffic areas in the context of the Corona Regulation on Restricting Contact and Operations and the wearing of a mouth-and-nose covering is required.
• In individual cases, structural preconditions may exist to integrate a corridor area into a workspace in such a way that paths do not cross (e.g., separated laboratory areas without through traffic, radiation protection areas, S2 laboratory areas). This is to be ensured by technical measures (door locking systems), or signage and instructions. In such cases, the mouth-and-nose covering may also be removed.

Offices: 

• There is no requirement to sear a mouth-and-nose covering in single offices; the office qualifies as work area.
• In offices with double occupancy, or where there is traffic with the public, there is a requirement to wear a mouth-and-nose covering until taking a seat.

Statement of the coordination group for biological work substances of the DGUV (PDF) (German)

Further information (PDF) (German).

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In support of virtual teaching in the Sommer 2020 semester, Goethe University has concluded a license agreement with the provider Zoom, allowing Goethe University teaching staff and employees to use the service via their personal HRZ account. Since Zoom should be used exclusively for teaching, we request that this use is given priority by users and that other services (in particular Vidyo, are used for other purposes (e.g. committee work). You can find further information at https://zoom.uni-frankfurt.de sowie hier https://lehre-sose2020.uni-frankfurt.de/

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Committee meetings can again be carried out in-person for compelling reasons if they are not possible in digital form. A distance and hygiene concept, coordinated with the University Occupational Safety Office in advance, is necessary to carry out these meetings. The distance and hygiene concept must always be created on the basis and in observance of the current instructions provided by Occupational Safety. Please send your questions about instructions and your concept to krisenstab@uni-frankfurt.de.

As a rule, food should not be served during these meetings. In exceptional cases, individually packaged food and drinks may be offered, or an external caterer with an appropriate hygiene concept may be hired.

External guests / experts etc. may also take part in committee meetings with a special access authorisation and after receiving instructions / information beforehand. Whenever possible, a digital meeting format is to be given priority.

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Official travel is only possible in exceptional cases (e.g., the risk of serious adverse effects on the success of a scientific project, loss of research funding, a research object that demands a specific time window, or the necessity of on-site presence). Authorisation of official travel by the supervisor and dean's office in charge requires the advance review of the observance of the RKI standards and BMAS requirements. Regional travel restrictions and quarantine rules must also be followed. The completed checklist for official travel is to be submitted along with the application for official travel.

a)    Official travel within Germany

Official travel within German to areas which have been classified as high-risk areas by the RKI should be avoided. Only in exceptional cases which necessary for verifiable official reasons and after being reviewed may approval be granted by the supervisor and the dean's office.

Overnight stays should not take place if possible. If this is unavoidable, the regulations of the states in questions for overnight stays must be taken into consideration in advance.

Official travel should be undertaken alone in an official or private vehicle. The use of a vehicle by more than one person is only allowed in justified exceptional cases. A mouth-and-nose covering must be worn by all occupants for the duration of the drive, and sufficient ventilation must be ensured. 

If the use of public transportation cannot be avoided, current regulations such as the obligation to wear a mouth-and-nose covering, are to be observed.

b)   Official travel outside of Germany

No official travel may take place to regions with a travel warning from the foreign office or which have been classified as high-risk areas by the Robert Koch Institute. If a travel warning is issued by the foreign office, or it is classified as a high-risk area by the Robert Koch Institute after approval has been granted for official travel, the approval is deemed revoked and the trip may not be undertaken. Those undertaking official travel are required to check travel warnings and risk classifications on their own shortly before beginning travel. 

If the official travel destination is declared a high-risk area during the trip (by either the RKI or the foreign office), the employees may make themselves decide whether the trip should be continued or aborted.

For travelers returning from a high-risk area on official travel, the following regulation applies:

An official at-home quarantine must be observed for 10 days. 

The quarantine may be lifted if a RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 taken five days after entry at the earliest has a negative result. 

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Individuals who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 must observe a 14-day quarantine without a special order from the public health department. This also applies to all persons living in the same household. Any individuals who have had contact with an infected person must also observe a 14-day quarantine at home. If children in the same household are subject to an official quarantine, working on site is not permitted during this period. Working on site is also not permitted if a red warning notification appears in the corona app. In coordination with the public health department and the crisis team (Krisenstab), working on-site may be permitted if negative test result (RT-PCR test) can be submitted. Anyone entering Germany from an international high-risk area must also observe a quarantine in accordance with current regulations. If you notice that you or members of your family are showing symptoms, please contact your doctor. The same quarantine rule applies analogously for students.  

Reporting procedure in case of suspected infection / instruction by health office to observe at-home quarantine

Employees are unconditionally required to report the following cases:

• A confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection of the employee or in the employee's household
• Classification as a category I contact with close contact (“increased" infection risk) as defined by the RKI (including when a red warning notification appears in the corona app)
• An order to observe a quarantine/isolation by a public health department for a household member in verbal or written form
• Quarantine/isolation due to returning from a foreign high-risk area (§ 1 para. 1 of the Ordinance on the Control of the Corona Virus of 13 March 2020 in the currently valid version ) 

In order to quickly break infection chains it is also important to report when a corona test is ordered by doctor due to symptoms or to contact with an infected person.

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Employees are to inform their supervisors and the crisis team krisenstab@uni-frankfurt.de or 069/798-23688) without being asked. Verbal and written orders from the health departments must also be sent to personalabteilung@uni-frankfurt.de.

Please use this record sheet to inform the crisis team.

The basis of our procedure and our specifications are the RKI standards for contact tracing, as they are also applied by the health authorities

Vacation and quarantine risk

When planning upcoming vacations, please be aware that the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) deems certain countries to be high risk areas for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

When entering Germany from a high-risk area, a 10-day at-home quarantine must be observed. The quarantine may be lifted if a RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 taken five days after entry at the earliest has a negative result. 

Further details are on the pages of the Hessian Ministry for Social Affairs and Integration (German).

When planning your vacation – also out of consideration for your colleagues - we therefore ask you to factor in foreseeable quarantine periods. Employees must either take vacation or reduce overtime hours for the duration of a foreseeable quarantine if, after prior consultation with their supervisors, it is not possible to work remotely or from home. A claim to remuneration by the employer only exists if the quarantine must be observed through no fault of the employee. Anyone traveling to a region that has been determined to be a high-risk area accepts that this claim will become void.

If a country is not deemed a high-risk area until after entry, no fault of the employee exists. If possible, and in consultation with the supervisor, the quarantine period should then be used for remote work / work from home.

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University buildings at the Westend, Bockenheim, Riedberg and Ginnheim locations are still closed to the public, but they may be used by university members under strict observance of the RKI standards. This applies to all buildings in which work is carried out that is indispensable for the organisation of teaching, research and administration. These buildings may be entered using card key locks or staffed main entrances. Access is regulated individually at each location (e.g., through existing closures, lists with the porters).

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Media can be borrowed and returned on site at the university library (UB JCS); lending sevices are again available to all users. Face masks are obligatory in all buildings, i.e., entry is only allowed with a mouth-and-nose covering.

At all locations, access using the GoetheCard or library cards is monitored by security. Lending/returning and information desks are only accessible without ID at the main library. The number of people who can be in the rooms at the same time is limited at all locations. To enter the library centres for the humanities and the library of sport sciences, an entrance ticket has to be booked in advance using a ticket system, and the ticket shown at the admission control:  https://buchung.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/zeit/

University library locations (UB JCS) can again be used to a limited extent by Goethe University students and employees as a place of study under compliance with the RKI standards and after advance booking of a workspace (https://buchung.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/zeit). Users who only have a library cards are only admitted to the main library. Out of consideration for others, we ask all users who cannot use the timeslot they booked to please cancel it and make it available for someone else.

 The campus book delivery service for Goethe University employees will continue to be provided: www.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/corona/buch.html .

You can find detailed information on all services currently being provided in the library's service monitor (German).

Wearing a mouth-and-nose covering

The wearing of a mouth-and-nose covering is also obligatory for all UB JCS visitors. This requirement also applies to all corridors throughout the buildings. It is now also required to wear a mouth-and-nose covering when sitting at a reserved workspace.

Due to increasing demand and with a view toward the coming winter semester, selected Studentenwerk food services will again take up operations in the coming weeks under corona requirements. In the canteens and cafeterias, as in all Goethe University buildings, you are required to wear a mouth-and-nose covering until you have taken your seat.

Westend Campus:
21/09/2020 – Mensa Anbau Casino
05/10/2020 – Café Explizit
12/10/2020 – DASEIN

Already opened: The CampuService-operated Café “Sturm & Drang" will continue to provide snacks and a small selection of warm dish in the to-go area from Monday through Friday between 9 am and 4 pm, and Saturdays between 11 am and 5 pm. The opening hours may be adjusted according to demand and can always be viewed at the website www.cafe-sturm-und-drang.de .

Campus Bockenheim:
05/10/2020 - Cafeteria

Campus Riedberg:
21/09/2020 – Level – is already open; beginning on 21/9 seating will again be provided for eating on-site.

Preliminary opening hours: Until further notice – Monday through Friday 9 am – 3 pm (warm meals 11:30 am – 2 pm); at the Mensa Anbau Casino Monday through Friday between 11 am – 3 pm (warm meals 11 am – 2 pm; no snacks). Studentenwerk will provide a small selection of sandwiches, baked goods, sweets and beverages there beginning at 9 am and from 11/11:30 am two warm dishes that change daily, one of which will be either vegetarian or vegan.

Due to limited seating, all dishes will continue to be available as take-out.

Information on dates, opening hours and the individual registration required for using the cafeterias which is necessary for corona reasons can be found starting on the week of September 14 at the Studentenwerk website www.studentenwerkfrankfurt.de.

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Templates for creating hygiene concepts for different forms of in-person events

>> Corona toolbox

For any urgent further questions concerning official matters please send an email to  krisenstab@uni-frankfurt.de. Please include your full details and a telephone number for queries.

You can contact the offices for Occupational Health and Safety and for Biological Safety under 069/798-23688.