Coronavirus: Current Measures and Recommendations

Dear teaching staff of our university,

The Ministry of Science today has amended the Corona-Regulation on Studies in Higher Education and Arts (Corona-Verordnung Studienbetrieb und Kunst). The change will be applicable from October 19, 2020 on, that is from tomorrow morning (Monday) on. The most important change is the order that masks must be worn not only in traffic zones (as was the case until now), but also “in classes at the seat” (§ 3 sec. 1 No. 1). Please inform your fellow-students about this change – most of them won’t have got the news.

We’ll yet have to analyse the new rules in detail. But I assume for the time being, that the obligation to wear masks

• applies “in class” – not, however, in the library(as soon as you have reached your seat)
• that in class it applies to those sitting “on their seat” – not to teaching staff that is not sitting;
• and that it is not applicable for exams, especially written tests.

Further details have to be clarified torrow (Monday) – we’ll keep you posted.

Stay calm – take care of yourself and your fellows; and stay healthy. And please excuse my improvable close-to-midnight-English.

Best, Thomas Puhl
President

Dear Colleagues and Staff Members,
Dear Teaching Staff,

In the fall semester 2020, students and employees have returned to the campus of the University of Mannheim.

Due to the current development of the COVID-19 infection rates, it is more likely that over time, students or colleagues of our university could get infected. In case a participant of one of your classes notifies you that they were tested positive for the coronavirus, please take note of the following information on what to do next:

First, you should check in which of your classes the infected person participated and if the hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim was observed.

1. The hygiene policy was observed: Provided that the hygiene policy was observed in the respective class (distance was kept, seating plan was observed, face masks were worn as stipulated in the valid version of the CoronaVO on that day, the room was aired in case it did not have a ventilation system), the class can still take place on campus. We recommend that you ask the students at the beginning of the next class if they think that the hygiene policy was observed at all times.
2. The hygiene policy was not observed: In case the hygiene policy was not properly implemented and observed in your class, please contact the task force immediately. We recommend that all participants contact their doctor to inform themselves about what to do next.

If necessary, the health authorities will officially inform the participants about the next steps in this case of infection. However, in the interest of all people involved, we would like to ask you to inform the participants of your class about this confirmed case of infection as a precaution. You will find a text template to communicate with your students at the end of this e-mail. In case your students have questions after reading your e-mail, please advise them to speak to a doctor.

Please inform the task force about the situation in any case and let us know which class was affected on which day. You should also inform your chair holder and your dean’s office about this situation. If you have any questions, please write an e-mail to task-force(at)uni-mannheim.de.

Please also forward this e-mail to the (other) tutors at your chair.

Kind regards and please take care!

Your

Task force of the University of Mannheim

----------------------------------------------

Text template “Information for the students”:

Dear Students,

Today we would like to inform you that one of the participants in the class „___“ on weekday, date was tested positive for the coronavirus.

In case the hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim, which was coordinated with the health authority, was properly implemented and observed during the class on weekday, date, you are still allowed to enter the campus of the university. The respective class can also still take place on campus.

Please ask yourself if you observed the hygiene policy in the respective class at all times - also right before and after the class (for example when entering the room or when speaking to others in the hallway etc.) Please inform your teacher immediately in case you think that you did not properly observe the hygiene policy.

The health authority will take action in case further steps should be necessary.

We would like to ask you to follow the hygiene policy of the university whenever you are on campus, especially when you are in contact with other people. The Central Administration also recommends using the Corona-Warn-App of the Federal Government.

In case you feel unsure about the situation, you are welcome to reach out to your doctor with any additional questions.

In line with the hygiene policy, we would like to remind you that in case you develop symptoms that are typical for a coronavirus infection, you are not allowed to enter the campus and you may not participate in classes and events of the university until your symptoms have been checked by a doctor.

In case you have any questions to the university, please send an e-mail to task-force(at)uni-mannheim.de.

Kind regards and please take care!

Your

Task force of the University of Mannheim

Dear Colleagues and Staff Members,

We are sending you this e-mail to give you an update on the following news:

1. Contact tracing regulations for advising appointments 
2. Coronavirus signs, PowerPoint slides and videoconference backgrounds available for download

1. Contact tracing regulations for advising appointments  

The state-wide coronavirus measures for higher education institutions in the Land of Baden-Württemberg will from now on be compiled in a new coronavirus decree for higher education and arts as a supplementary document to the general Corona Ordinance (CoronaVO).

In case you are offering advising appointments on campus, please note that it is no longer sufficient to only store participants’ e-mail addresses. In order for the local health authority to be able to reach all individuals swiftly and reliably in cases of suspected infection, you are required to collect participants’ telephone number instead of their e-mail address. Please store these data, combined with information about the time the appointment took place, for four weeks, and delete the data afterwards in line with the GDPR provisions.

The easiest way to collect and store this data is to use the Typo3 plug-in for appointments that was designed and made available by the University IT. If you enable the option for collecting contact information for contact tracing in the plug-in, all data including the telephone number will automatically be stored for four weeks and then be deleted. You can find out how to access the stored data in the instructions for the appointment tool (only available in German) here: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/marketing/leistungen/online/typo3-handbuch/plug-ins/terminanmeldung/.

2. Coronavirus signs, PowerPoint slide and videoconference backgrounds available for download
You can now find posters with the most important rules of conduct for students and employees at all central entrances of the university. If you need additional posters for your institution, you can now download and print such signs from the intranet. On the same intranet page, you also have the option to download a PowerPoint slide with relevant rules of conduct to insert in your presentations. Zoom and Microsoft Teams backgrounds for your video conferences or lectures are now also available for download.

As usual, we will keep you up to date about the most important changes via e-mail. Please also make sure to frequently check the university website and the intranet for further updates on the coronavirus situation.

Sincerely,

Barbara Windscheid

Dear Colleagues,
dear Fellow Students,
dear Sir or Madam,

The President's Office decided to end the closure of the university buildings by 31 August 2020. From that date onwards, all members and affiliates of the university will be able to access the university buildings again. This decision forms the basis for on-campus classes, which will be conducted in the upcoming fall semester 2020/21 to complement digital teaching. Most on-campus classes will be offered for first-year students, so that they can get used to university life.

The University Library is also taking further steps to open its libraries.  This will already happen on Monday, 3 August 2020. From this date onwards, all user groups will be able to enter the Schloss Ehrenhof Library and the A3 Library from Mondays to Fridays from 10 am to 8 pm (except for public holidays) and there will be more seats available. The central lending desk will also open from 3 August 2020 onwards, Mondays to Fridays from noon until 6 pm (except for public holidays).

Members and affiliates of the University of Mannheim are still able to reserve a seat in the libraries in Schloss Ehrenhof and A3. However, as long as free seats are available, these can also be used without a seat reservation. The current number of free seats can be looked up on the websites of the University Library. Registered users of the library, who are neither members nor affiliates of the University of Mannheim, can also use these two libraries from 3 August onwards. However, they have to reserve a seat in advance. All user groups can access the central lending desk without prior reservation.

We will electronically record all individuals entering and leaving the open libraries via their ecUM Card or library card. This enables us to verify access rights, calculate the number of available seats and contact you later on in case of a coronavirus infection. In doing so, we will comply with data protection regulations.

The hygiene regulations of the University Library remain in force. For more information on the hygiene regulations and the opening of the libraries as well as the central lending desk, please visit https://www.bib.uni-mannheim.de/corona/.

Literature from the A5 Library or the Business Administration Library can still be used in the A3 Library. The other library services, which were offered due to the coronavirus crisis (scan service for staff members and students of the University of Mannheim, borrowing items with mail dispatch for university employees and more digital offers) will be continued.

As part of our opening process of the university buildings, we would also like to take further steps for the opening of the libraries for members and affiliates of the university from the end of August onwards if the infection rates allow. It is our goal to open all libraries by the end of September for the start of the fall semester and to offer longer opening hours.

In order to ensure that the valid hygiene regulations of the university are followed during the opening process of the university buildings and the on-campus classes, the President's Office initiated a communication concept and is taking extensive measures to inform people about the binding hygiene regulations when they enter the building or use the lecture halls and seminar rooms. Inside the building, we will display clear signs as well as electronic and printed information to remind people of the rules of the hygiene policy.

We are currently finalizing how you will be able to make use of the counseling services and the other offices of the central university administration (e.g. in L1) and will inform you about your options by mid-August at the latest.

We would like to ask you for your support, discipline and commitment, as we are doing our best to open our university and make on-campus operations possible again. We want everyone spending time in the university buildings - in the library, in seminars or doing sports - to be as safe as possible when performing their job: teaching, studying and researching.

We thank you for your support and help.

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Thomas Puhl                   Barbara Windscheid                       Dr. Sabine Gehrlein
President                                       Executive Vice President                Director of the University Library

Persons showing symptoms indicative of the coronavirus (fever, dry cough, impaired smelling or taste) are not allowed to enter the premises of the university. Employees with symptoms of a cold have to leave the workplace or stay at home until their symptoms have been checked by a doctor.

Should you notice symptoms indicative of the coronavirus in yourself while on campus, please leave ongoing events and classes/your workspace and stay at home until the symptoms have been checked by a doctor.

The university management recommends using the Corona-Warn-App of the Federal Government.

When it comes to working in times of the coronavirus pandemic, the safety and health of our employees comes first. Safety at work is key in this regard. In light of the present epidemiological situation, this hygiene policy lays out the necessary measures that must be followed by all employees within the buildings, premises and vehicles of the university. The rules for employees apply analogously to all students and other university members unless special regulations are in place for certain groups of persons.

The hygiene policy is regularly adapted to the latest provisions and recommendations of the public authorities and to the corresponding coronavirus measures taken or adapted by the university and their impact on the restrictions for the university.

In order to prevent possible further transmission,

• please watch your distance (1,5 meters), and
• please wear a face mask, and
• please pay attention to proper hand hygiene and
• cough and sneeze etiquette (cover your mouth with your bent elbow or tissue when coughing/sneezing),
• avoid shaking hands,
• avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, and
• regularly air rooms.

Additional Tips

Additional tips on hygiene measures can be found on the websites of the Federal Centre for Health Education, BZgA (in German).

Moreover, please stay up-to-date on the situation and inform yourself on the websites of the Robert Koch Institute regularly and consider the current information and recommendations.

In situations where it is not possible to maintain the minimum distance of 1.5 meters to other people at the job, employees must wear face masks to cover their mouths and noses. For this purpose, the university supplies its employees with suitable mouth and nose protection. The same applies for employees who have contact to customers or a large number of other people in the scope of their job. Students are individually responsible for securing appropriate mouth and nose protection.

In circulation areas (hallways, staircases) and in communal rooms (washrooms, kitchenettes) of university buildings, employees must wear non-surgical cloth face masks or comparable mouth and nose coverings, regardless of the availability of protective masks. In light of the limited stock of such masks, employees are asked to use their own cloth face masks for this purpose.

The University of Mannheim does not consider protective face shields or visors to be an adequate alternative to mouth and nose coverings such as non-surgical cloth face masks. They thus do not comply with the regulations laid down in the university's hygiene policy. The Robert Koch Institute points out that mouth and nose coverings must be placed correctly over the mouth, nose, and cheeks and must fit as tightly as possible in order to minimize the flow of air at the edges. This protection is not given with face shields or protective visors.

In case of any questions, please contact the occupational medical service of the University of Mannheim. Please direct concrete medical questions via e-mail to amd(at)uni-mannheim.de. In case you would like a phone appointment with the physician of the occupational medical service, please send an e-mail with the subject “coronavirus” to bgm(at)verwaltung.uni-mannheim.de.

In order to implement the Hygiene Policy, the assembly and filling of permanently installed disinfectant dispensers at the main entrances to the university buildings will be organized centrally. In addition, Department IV provides centrally financed and stocked protection and hygiene articles. Information on ordering can be found on the website of Department IV (in German).

On the intranet, you will find bilingual signs with behavioral rules and recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic. Please download, print and put up them up in your work area if applicable.

What happens when Mannheim becomes a coronavirus hotspot?

The hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim will continue to apply. The policy implements the provisions of the coronavirus decree of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (Corona-VO) and the coronavirus decree for higher education and arts (Corona-VO Studienbetrieb) and also takes into account the requirements of occupational safety. The hygiene policy has also been coordinated with the health authority of the City of Mannheim. In addition, the task force checks on a daily basis whether further measures - such as limiting the maximum number of people who are allowed to gather in public areas or attend an event - need to be taken pursuant to the provisions under federal state or municipal law. The task force would communicate any possible changes or alterations on this website and, if necessary, update the university's hygiene policy.

The hygiene policy is intended to help prevent infections, even if an infected person is at the University of Mannheim. A prerequisite for this is strict adherence to the policy - so please remind yourself and, if necessary, others of it. Please also continue to adhere to the prevailing hygiene measures, in particular the obligation to wear mouth and nose coverings, to maintain the minimum safety distance of 1.5 meters to each other and to perform proper hand hygiene. Please also note that, according to the current hygiene policy, any individuals displaying symptoms of a cold must leave their university workspace or stay away from it. Furthermore, it is possible to agree upon working from home with your superior, provided that your official duties allow it.

What happens if my place of residence becomes a coronavirus hotspot?
If your place of residence has been declared a coronavirus hotspot, you are nevertheless allowed to come to and work at your university workspace, provided that you comply with all hygiene regulations and do not display any symptoms of a cold.

What happens if I plan a business trip to a location that has been declared a coronavirus hotspot?
For information on business trips to risk areas, coronavirus hotspots in Germany, and non-risk areas, please click here.

In case a participant of one of your classes notifies you that they were tested positive for the coronavirus, please take note of the following information on what to do next:

First, you should check in which of your classes the infected person participated and if the hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim was observed.

1. The hygiene policy was observed: Provided that the hygiene policy was observed in the respective class (distance was kept, seating plan was observed, face masks were worn as stipulated in the valid version of the CoronaVO on that day, the room was aired in case it did not have a ventilation system), the class can still take place on campus. We recommend that you ask the students at the beginning of the next class if they think that the hygiene policy was observed at all times.
2. The hygiene policy was not observed: In case the hygiene policy was not properly implemented and observed in your class, please contact the task force immediately. We recommend that all participants contact their doctor to inform themselves about what to do next.

If necessary, the health authorities will officially inform the participants about the next steps in this case of infection. However, in the interest of all people involved, we would like to ask you to inform the participants of your class about this confirmed case of infection as a precaution. You will find a text template to communicate with your students at the end of this e-mail. In case your students have questions after reading your e-mail, please advise them to speak to a doctor.

Please inform the task force about the situation in any case and let us know which class was affected on which day. You should also inform your chair holder and your dean’s office about this situation. If you have any questions, please write an e-mail to task-force@uni-mannheim.de.

Please also forward this e-mail to the (other) tutors at your chair.

Kind regards and please take care!

Your

Task force of the University of Mannheim

Text template “Information for the students”:

Dear Students,

Today we would like to inform you that one of the participants in the class „___“ on weekday, date was tested positive for the coronavirus.

In case the hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim, which was coordinated with the health authority, was properly implemented and observed during the class on weekday, date, you are still allowed to enter the campus of the university. The respective class can also still take place on campus.

Please ask yourself if you observed the hygiene policy in the respective class at all times - also right before and after the class (for example when entering the room or when speaking to others in the hallway etc.) Please inform your teacher immediately in case you think that you did not properly observe the hygiene policy.

The health authority will take action in case further steps should be necessary.

We would like to ask you to follow the hygiene policy of the university whenever you are on campus, especially when you are in contact with other people. The Central Administration also recommends using the Corona-Warn-App of the Federal Government.

In case you feel unsure about the situation, you are welcome to reach out to your doctor with any additional questions.

In line with the hygiene policy, we would like to remind you that in case you develop symptoms that are typical for a coronavirus infection, you are not allowed to enter the campus and you may not participate in classes and events of the university until your symptoms have been checked by a doctor.

In case you have any questions to the university, please send an e-mail to task-force@uni-mannheim.de.

Kind regards and please take care!

Your

Task force of the University of Mannheim

Persons showing symptoms indicative of the coronavirus (fever, dry cough, impaired smelling or taste) are not allowed to enter the premises of the university. Employees with symptoms of a cold have to leave the workplace or stay at home until their symptoms have been checked by a doctor.

Business trips to coronavirus hotspot areas within Germany
Business trips to coronavirus hotspot areas are currently not permitted (see the current list of risk areas at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/478220a4c454480e823b17327b2bf1d4).

This also applies to business trips that were already approved, provided that the respective city or region was classified as a risk area only after the approval of the business trip. In case a city or region is classified as a risk area only after you have traveled there for your business trip, please contact the head of Division V immediately.

In any case, please inform yourself about the development of the coronavirus pandemic in your destination both before and during your business trip.

In exceptional cases, in which it is necessary to make a business trip to a coronavirus hotspot area for urgent work-related purposes, an individual decision can be made upon request considering the risks involved. Please also note that the business trip can only be approved provided that no quarantine is to be observed upon your return.

For such an individual decision to be made, we need the following documents in advance:

1) a special written justification of the superior stating why the trip is necessary and why the purpose of the business trip cannot be achieved by participating in the respective event in digital form and

2) a confirmation of the staff member planning the trip that they will adhere to the prevailing hygiene regulations of the University of Mannheim during their entire business trip.

Please submit all relevant documents in good time to ensure that any questions can be clarified before you start your trip. We also ask you to provide us with a telephone number or e-mail address, so that we can reach you at short notice, if necessary. Please note that the insurance coverage and the option of having your travel expenses reimbursed only starts once your business trip has been approved.

In order to submit your request and in case you have any other questions regarding business trips, please contact the travel expenses office of Division V - Human Resources.

In case you have any questions regarding business trips, do not hesitate to contact the travel expenses office (on the intranet at https://intranet.uni-mannheim.de/organisation/verwaltung/dezernat-v/#c180333).

Business trips to risk areas
Business tripsto risk areas are currently not allowed (please see the decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs on quarantine measures for entering and returning to the Land of Baden-Württemberg in order to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus). This also applies to business trips that were already approved, provided that the country or the region was classified as a risk area after the approval of the business trip. In case a region or country is classified as a risk area after you traveled there for your business trip, please contact the head of Division V immediately.

Please inform yourself about the development of the coronavirus pandemic in your destination and about possible travel restrictions before and during your business trip. Please also take note of the information from the Federal Foreign Office (in German), the Robert Koch Institute (in German) and the Ministry of Social Affairs (in German).

Mandatory testing and quarantine
Since 8 August 2020, all persons entering Baden-Württemberg by air, sea or land must get tested for the coronavirus in case they spent time in a risk area at any point in time during the 14 days prior to their arrival in Baden-Württemberg. All persons are obliged to self-quarantine immediately until they receive a negative test result. The local health authority decides when a person is allowed to end quarantine.

Persons who hold a medical certificate with a negative test result that is not older than 48 hours when entering Baden-Württemberg are exempt from mandatory testing and quarantine.

Should the coronavirus situation worsen during your business trip and the region or country that you are in is classified as a risk area after you arrive, you must observe the current regulations for entering and returning to Baden-Württemberg.

What this means for you: Please do not come to the university as long as the local health authority did not decide to end your mandatory quarantine or if you did not hold a negative text result when you entered Baden-Württemberg. Should you have questions regarding retuning to your workplace at the University of Mannheim, please contact the head of Division V (from home).

Business trips to non-risk areas
We would like to ask you not to take any business trips until further notice, even if these take place in regions (also within Germany) and countries that currently are not classified as risk areas.

In exceptional cases in which it is necessary to participate in a business trip in a non-risk area for work-related purposes, an individual decision can be made upon request. For such an individual decision to be made, we need the following documents in advance:

1) the written justification of the superior why the trip is necessary and why the purpose of the business trip cannot be achieved by participating in digital form and

2) the confirmation of the traveling staff member that they will adhere to the valid hygiene regulations of the University of Mannheim during the business trip and their stay.

3) For business trips abroad, we recommend that you buy private travel health insurance. Please inform us for the individual decision if you bought travel health insurance.

Please submit all relevant documents in due time and take into account that the processing time for approving the business trip is two weeks. Please note that the general insurance coverage and the option for reimbursement are subject to the approval of the business trip. In order to submit such a request and in case you have any other questions regarding business trips, please contact the travel expenses team of Division V.

Voucher refund
Various transport companies are forced by the coronavirus regulations to cancel planned business trips and are now offering refunds in form of vouchers instead of cash. Please do not accept a voucher before you get in touch with out travel expenses office. Your contact person is Ms. Lechner.

The University IT (UNIT) is working hard to expand its digital services to compensate for the suspension of classroom teaching through digital teaching formats, and to enable all employees who currently work in the home office to cooperate as effectively as possible. A summary of all news and updates on these two topics can be found on this website.

During the last months, the Central Administration and the University IT have joined forces to ensure that the administration services run smoothly and to make personal consultations possible - even under coronavirus constraints and without any direct face-to-face contact. You can book advising appointments with the staff members of the administration via Microsoft Teams. Booking virtual meetings with several persons is also possible.

Online appointments
You now also have the option to book appointments with the responsible advisors online. You can find a link to book appointments online in the contact information of the respective contact person. For matters regarding student affairs, it is possible to book appointments on the web pages of Division II. For matters regarding human resources or other topics of Division V, you can send appointment requests via the intranet page of Division V. Persons who are not employed at the university can use the online contact form on the web page of Division V to get in touch. For infection control reasons and due to the room conditions, these appointments will primarily take place via MS Teams or telephone. In special cases, appointments may also be possible in person.

Signing contracts
Wherever possible, contracts will be concluded either electronically or by (internal) mail. If this is not possible, for instance in the case of employment contracts, you will receive an individual appointment in person.

Requesting certificates
The Central Administration are happy to send you confirmations and certificates either electronically or by (internal) mail.

Submitting documents
You can send files and documents either electronically or, if an original is required, by (internal) mail to the Central Administration.

Since the re-opening of the buildings, all technical equipment and systems can be used as in times before the start of the pandemic. Special regulations only apply to the following systems:

Elevators
Elevators may only be used by one person at a time and should only be used by people with reduced mobility or to transport heavy loads.

Janitor
All janitors are working during their regular working hours and can be contacted as usual.

Reception Desk
The Reception Desk at the main entrance is occupied by two persons at all times (24 hours / 7 days a week). In case of any questions or problems, please contact the hotline of the Reception Desk by calling 181-1110.

Ventilation systems
The ventilation systems are operated under special regulations.

All measures of the University of Mannheim aim at minimizing the risk of infection and stopping the further spread of the coronavirus. However, it is impossible to guarantee full protection. According to the latest scientific knowledge, the coronavirus is primarily transmitted through droplets. Airing generally reduces the risk of infection through aerosols and therefore plays a vital role in our concept to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For this reason, we recommend to air rooms frequently with as much fresh outdoor air as possible.

At the University of Mannheim, all commonly used rooms and offices can at least be aired by manually opening the windows. Larger rooms with a possible seating capacity of more than 50 persons are usually equipped with a ventilation system. When using such large rooms, ventilation systems (RLT systems) are absolutely necessary from a hygiene and energetic point of view to fulfill the legal requirements.

RLT systems ensure a high level of safety, because they purify the incoming air from outside with filters to separate small particles. As a result, the secure supply of purified air in an RLT system dilutes possible contaminations and lowers the number of viruses in a room. Furthermore, special zones and pressure controls ensure that contaminants from outgoing air of a room cannot spread throughout the whole building. In addition, RLT systems can be operated in every weather condition.

Find more information on the RLT ventilation system on the intranet.

In order to minimize the risk of infection, the university management has instructed all superiors to make sure the adopted measures are implemented in their respective divisions and departments. Implementation of the measures must be documented. The form for risk assessment, which you can find on the intranet, is intended to be a checklist for superiors and is to support help them fulfill their responsibility in this regard.

The necessary measures that superiors need to implement before their employees return to the workplace include a safety training regarding the fundamentals of the hygiene policy. The safety training needs to take place on the employees’ first day back at their offices at the latest. Participation in the online safety training needs to be documented by means of a signature and needs to be forwarded to the superior. Please find the respective form on the intranet.

Employees can carry out office work either from home or at the office. Insofar as it is possible in terms of technical equipment and the type of work, employees can continue to work from home. This will be decided by their superiors upon prior discussion with the employees. It is not necessary to hand in an application for telework. Employees from risk groups should still work primarily from home.

Paid leave
In the few cases where working from home is not an option, we ask the responsible superiors to grant their employees a paid leave of absence for the period of emergency operations. The extent of the leave of absence must then be documented. For more information, please see the coronavirus topic page on the intranet.

Employees who belong to the at-risk group
Employees who belong to the at-risk group are to work from home exclusively. If this is not possible, employees are to reduce their accrued overtime before they receive a paid leave. 

Home office regulations
Due to the exceptional situation, working from home can be approved by your superior alone and, until further notice, does not need additional approval from the human resources department. The approval of your superior may be recalled at any time. The standard working time regulations apply. For employees who use in the electronic time tracking system, the same flexible working hours apply. In cases of hardship, it is possible to submit a request to extend the flexible working hours to 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. The request including a justification and a statement of the superior must be submitted to Division V.

Furthermore, employees need to be reachable when working from home.

Check e-mails several times a day
In this exceptional situation, it is crucial that we keep communicating with all our staff members. This also applies to those among you who are currently working at home or have taken leave of absence. This is the only way to ensure that important information and new necessary measures can be communicated to all employees in due time and can be followed accordingly. Therefore, all staff members are required to check their e-mails at least once, but preferably several times a day. They must also ensure that they can be reached by telephone during the usual office hours.

Taking home materials from your office
Documents containing personal data and original documents need to remain at the university. Please make sure to return any working materials to the university, once you come back after this crisis is behind us.

Online contact tracing via “Checkin”
In order to trace possible routes of transmission, the University of Mannheim is obliged to collect contact information of all participants (students, teachers, guests etc.) in on-campus classes. This contact information must be stored for four weeks in case the health authorities inquires about it. By the beginning of the semester, we will implement the new digital application “Checkin” to collect contact information. This application will be used instead of or in addition to the paper forms that are currently used. You can find further information and the link to the application on the website of the University IT. Please do not hesitate to contact the IT support in case of questions or problems.

Paper forms for participants without mobile device
Participants without mobile device can still use a paper form and fill in their contact information. The forms will be available in the orange boxes in the lecture halls in due time. Additional copies are available at the Reception Desk at the main entrance of Schloss Ostflügel or on the intranet for printing. For all classes for which you booked a room via the GmbH, please submit the paper forms to the Reception Desk after the class has ended (please also refer to the PDF Handreichung Corona Präsenzveranstaltungen (Regulations for On-Campus Classes and Meetings in the Rooms of the University of Mannheim). In all other cases, please write down the data of all participants yourself and keep the respective data for four weeks.

Mandatory collection of telephone numbers 
Please note that it is no longer sufficient to only collect participants’ e-mail addresses during classes or advising appointments on campus. In order for the local health authority to be able to reach all individuals swiftly and reliably in cases of suspected infection, you are required to collect participants’ telephone number instead of their e-mail address and store it for four weeks.

For advising appointments, you can simply use the Typo3 plug-in for appointments that was designed and made available by the University IT. If you enable the option for collecting contact information for contact tracing in the plug-in, all data including the telephone number will automatically be stored for four weeks and then be deleted. You can find out how to access the stored data in the instructions for the appointment tool (only available in German).

For on-campus classes, the telephone number is collected automatically, because it is a mandatory field in the online form of “Checkin”.

Corona checklist for on-campus classes
You will find a Corona checklist for on-campus classesas well as furtherguidelines on hosting events on the intranet.

Contact tracing in classes
In order to trace possible routes of transmission, the University of Mannheim is obliged to collect contact information of all participants (students, teachers, guests etc.) in on-campus classes. This contact information must be stored for four weeks in case the health authorities inquires about it. By the beginning of the semester, we will implement the new digital application “Checkin” to collect contact information. This application will be used instead of or in addition to the paper forms that are currently used.

You can find further information on contact tracing in general here.
You can find further information and the link to the application on the website of the University IT.

Digital teaching
The university IT has created a website that summarises all news and updates concerning the switch to digital teaching.

Partcipant of a class tested positive for COVID-19
In case a participant of one of your classes notifies you that they were tested positive for the coronavirus, please take note of the information on our website on what to do next.

On their website, the Department of Gender Equality and Social Diversity has compiled a number of useful links on various topics  – all of them are related to the issue of reconciling family and career or family and studies during the coronavirus crisis.

The university post office is open for you from 7 a.m. to noon. You do not need to make an appointment in advance.Please maintain the mandatory distance when picking up your mail and wait in front of the post office in case a colleague is already inside.

The forms of examination for the fall semester 2020/21 are currently being planned. It can be assumed that there will again be a combination of online and in-person examinations. The respective form of examination should be communicated at the latest at the beginning of the course.

Alternative forms of examination will be offered to all students who are not able to take an in-person examination, e.g. because they belong to a risk group.

Private trips to risk areas
It is your private decision if you travel a risk area in your private time. Upon returning, you must observe the valid regulations for entering and returning to Baden-Württemberg, which currently imply mandatory testing and quarantine.

Since 8 August 2020, all persons entering Baden-Württemberg by air, sea or land must get tested for the coronavirus in case they spent time in a risk area at any point in time during the 14 days prior to their arrival in Baden-Württemberg. All persons are obliged to self-quarantine immediately until they receive a negative test result. The local health authority decides when a person is allowed to end quarantine.

Persons who hold a medical certificate with a negative test result that is not older than 48 hours when entering Baden-Württemberg are exempt from mandatory testing and quarantine.

Please bear in mind that you have to check with your superior/s that not only your vacation/absence is approved but also the following absence due to the mandatory quarantine.

In this context, we would like to point out that we cannot grant you paid leave while you are in mandatory quarantine, since this absence is based on your private decision. For this reason, you have to check with your superior/s if you can take days of leave for the duration of the quarantine or if - for some or all of that time - you can work from home, use overtime hours, or if unpaid leave is an option. If the interests of the university generally allow that the days in quarantine can be taken off directly after the holiday, this period must be covered by one of the measures mentioned above or by a combination of these. Paid leave is not possible. In cases of doubt, please contact the head of Division V.

Please inform yourself about the development of the coronavirus pandemic in your destination and about possible travel restrictions before and during your private trip. Please also take note of the information from the Federal Foreign Office (in German), the Robert Koch Institute (in German) and the Ministry of Social Affairs (in German).

Should the coronavirus situation worsen during your private trip and the region or country that you are in is classified as a risk area after you arrive, you must observe the current regulations for entering and returning to Baden-Württemberg. Should you have questions regarding retuning to your workplace at the University of Mannheim, please contact the head of Division V (from home).

In case a school/day care facility must be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, affected parents should have the option to work from home in order to look after their children.

For the few cases where working from home is not an option, employees can use overtime hours or vacation days, where available. If not opposed by official reasons, superiors are to prioritize these requests and to meet the wishes of the employees. In particular cases of hardship (i.e. single parents without any help for child care) paid leave can be granted until further notice. Further information can be found in the intranet.

Due to the exceptional situation, working from home can be approved by your superior alone and, until further notice, does not need additional approval from the human resources department. The approval of your superior may be recalled at any time. The standard working time regulations apply. For employees who use in the electronic time tracking system, the same flexible working hours apply. In cases of hardship, it is possible to submit a request to extend the flexible working hours to 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. The request including a justification and a statement of the superior must be submitted to Division V.

Furthermore, employees need to be reachable when working from home.

Events and meetings are subject to the current version of the CoronaVO and the current version of the university's hygiene policy.

According to the Corona Ordinance (CoronaVO) of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, buildings of higher education institutions may only be used for university purposes. External events are not allowed (coronavirus decree for higher education and arts, as at 18 October 2020, section 5, subsection 1).

You can find general safety instructions for classes in the PDF ”Information on classroom safety” in the intranet.

For university events taking place outside the university, the hygiene policy of the University of Mannheim as well as the hygiene policy of the receiving institution have to be observed.

Maximum number of people for events, classes and gatherings
Themaximum number of people that are currently allowed to assemble within the university buildings and premises is adapted according to the current Corona Ordinance (CoronaVO) of the Land of Baden-Württemberg. The current version of the CoronaVO determines that a maximum of 10 people are currently allowed to gather and meet (CoronaVO, as at 18 October 2020). Since the CoronaVO does not classify events and classes as gatherings, they are subject to the room specific restrictions regarding the maximum number of people. You can find out how many people are allowed in each classroom in Portal², in the room plans on campus or when checking into a room with the new digital application “Checkin”.

Room bookings / Implementation of the hygiene policy during events and classes
The regulations to protect participants from infection and the regulations laid out in the hygiene policy must be observed during gatherings, events and classes. You can find suitable rooms and the respective maximum number of people that are allowed in each room in the “Corona” building in Portal². You can also book the rooms there. Further information on conducting events and classes are available in the PDF “Handreichung Corona Präsenzveranstaltungen (EN)” (Regulations for On-Campus Classes and Meetings in the Rooms of the University of Mannheim).

Contact tracing via “Checkin”
In order to trace possible routes of transmission, the University of Mannheim is obliged to collect contact information of all participants (students, teachers, guests etc.) in on-campus classes. This contact information must be stored for four weeks in case the health authorities inquires about it. By the beginning of the semester, we will implement the new digital application “Checkin” to collect contact information. This application will be used instead of or in addition to the forms on paper that are currently used. Further information on contact tracing, whether online or on paper, is available on the website or the intranet in the section “Contact tracing”.

Guidelines and checklists
You will find a Corona checklist for on-campus classes as well as further guidelines on hosting events on the intranet.

Up-to-date information on the opening of the library can be found on the website of the university library.

Especially cultural and sports events are subject to the current CoronaVO. Please note that you must comply with the communicated hygiene policy of the organizers and follow the general hygiene measures in the university buildings.

In order to trace possible routes of transmission, it is mandatory to collect contact information of all participants (students, teachers, guests etc.) in on-campus classes and events. This contact information must be stored for four weeks in case the health authorities inquires about it. So when you attend an event, please check in online through the digital application “Checkin” or fill out a paper form which is available in the respective lecture room.

The general public is still not allowed to access to the university buildings. The only exceptions are going to the library and participating in on-campus exams or in approved events.

Please note: Persons showing symptoms indicative of the coronavirus (fever, dry cough, impaired smelling or taste) are not allowed to enter the premises of the university.

Should you notice symptoms indicative of the coronavirus in yourself while on campus, please leave ongoing events and classes or stay at home until the symptoms have been checked by a doctor.