FaQs for International Exchange Students of the fall semester 2020

If you have spent more than 48 hours in a foreign country or come from a country that is considered a risk area within the past 14 days before entering Baden-Württemberg, you are required to pass a two-weeks mandatory quarantine.

Persons entering from abroad must immediately report their whereabouts to the responsible local policeauthority at 31corona(at)mannheim.de and enter a 14-day quarantine.

During the 14 days in quarantine, you are not allowed: 

• to leave your apartment without the permission of the public health department.
• to receive visits from people living in other households.

Any violation of the rules may be imposed by a fine.

You can find an updated list of countries considered a risk area on the website of the Ministry of Social Policy and Integration of Baden-Württemberg.  

These rules have been in force since June 16, 2020 and will be valid until July 14, 2020.

On 01 July, the federal and state governments agreed on the following updated guidelines for social distancing:

• You are now permitted to gather in public places with up to 20 persons.
• Gatherings of more than 20 people in private homes, or other private premises are unacceptable. The police and public order authorities are enforcing these rules on social distancing.
• When going shopping or using public transport, e.g. tram, bus or train, you have to wear a temporary mask.
• Events and other gatherings in churches, mosques, synagogues, and the assemblies of other religious communities are allowed again.

For more detailed information:

German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community
https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/coronavirus-faqs.html#doc13797140bodyText3

Ordinance of the State of Baden Württemberg from 01 July 2020: https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.de/fileadmin/redaktion/m-sm/intern/downloads/Downloads_Gesundheitsschutz/200623_Corona-Verordnung_englisch.pdf 

Information about the compulsory mask: https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2020-04/englisch._Information%20about%20the%20compulsory%20mask.pdf 

Translated information from the German national and international television news liveblog of the Tagesschau:

• https://www.lengoo.de/blog/tag/covid-19-live-blog/

Governmental websites:

on entry and travel restrictions:

• https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/coronavirus

on the general situation, social distancing, and travel restrictions/border control:

• https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/coronavirus-faqs.html#doc13797140bodyText3

Should you feel sick, please consult a medical doctor - you will find contact details of English-speaking doctors on MyUniMa.

The Charité Universitäts­medizin Berlin has created a questionnaire as decision support for a possible doctor's visit and/or a coronavirus test. Moreover, it provides you with information on risk reduction and helps society to optimize patient flow.
The app does not substitute clinical diagnostics by a doctor; however, it simplifies procedures in our health care system, gives you individualized recommendations for your next steps and summarizes your data. The app can assist you in evaluating whether it is necessary to see a doctor and/or to know if a test for coronavirus is recommended for you. Medically relevant information will be summarized at the end of the questionnaire and you can take it with you to a doctor's appointment.

You can access the questionnaire here: https://covapp.charite.de/, switch to English in the upper right-hand corner, and start the survey. After completing the survey you get individualized recommendations based on your answers. You can also print out the summary afterwards.

The questionnaire is anonymous and will be recorded by the device (e. g. cell phone) you use when taking the survey. Your answers will not be transferred to Charité nor any other third party.

If you feel like you should get tested for SARS-Cov-2, please ask yourself: did you have contact with an infected person or did you return from a so-called 'risk area' recently? If so, please contact a medical doctor on the phone first and state your case.

The city of Mannheim also established a Corona-Hotline: +49 (0)621-293 2253

Outside their office hours, this number should be available as well: (+49) 116 117

The city of Mannheim also gives information on their website: https://www.mannheim.de/de/informationen-zu-corona/informationen-in-verschiedenen-sprachen#  (scroll down for information in English and other languages)

The A3 Library and the Schloss Ehrenhof Library are open Monday to Friday from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except for holidays). Access to the library locations is only possible after a personal seat booking via the Primo catalog. Further information is available at https://www.bib.uni-mannheim.de/en/seatbooking/

• A maximum of 50 persons (in addition to the library staff) may be present in the library locations at the same time.
• Within in the library it is mandatory to wear masks in circulation areas and in communal areas. Once you are at your workstation you can take your mask off as long as the distance regulations are respected. 
• The minimum distance of 1.50 m must be observed at all times.
• Working in groups is not permitted, the group work rooms are closed.

Media from the A5 Library and the Schloss Schneckenhof Library (BWL) can be used in the A3 Library. Please send an e-mail to the corresponding library location in advance: for media from the A5 Library to a5erw(at)bib.uni-mannheim.de and for media from the Schloss Schneckenhof Library to bwlerw(at)bib.uni-mannheim.de.

Please inform yourself about the complete hygiene concept in the library locations before your visit:
https://www.bib.uni-mannheim.de/fileadmin/ub/sonstiges/Hygiene_regulations_subject_libraries.pdf 

The scan service for students and academic staff for printed titles from all library locations, including the Central Lending Library and the closed stacks, is continued. Please also make use of our significantly expanded digital offer of e-journals, e-books and databases.

You can find an overview of the University Library’s current range of services and resources at https://www.bib.uni-mannheim.de/en/corona/

Should you have problems accessing Portal² or Ilias and/or opening uploaded materials, kindly visit: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/it/support/.
If you cannot find the answer to your question there, kindly get in touch with our colleagues from University IT support via itsupport(at)uni-mannheim.de. 

The university’s main cafeteria now offers a take-away option which you can order online on the Studierenden­werk’s website.

If you would like to have a meal from the cafeteria, please note that from Monday through Thursday you need to pre-order on the previous day until 12 pm for pick-up on the following day. Due to organizational reasons, any orders for Monday need to be placed on Friday until 12 pm.

When placing an order, please fill out the form on the Studierenden­werk’s website where you can select a meal (regular, vegetarian, dessert) and a pick-up time between 12 pm to 2 pm.  Here you can find the daily menus.

Afterwards, provide your full name and email-address, then click the button “Jetzt bestellen”.

Please remember to pick up your order during the selected time frame and note that ordered meals are prepared specifically for you.

The University of Mannheim's Institute of Sports offers you the opportunity to stream various courses offered by the institute online in your living room: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/sports/program/

For general inquiries, please contact the International Office: incomings(at)uni-mannheim.de

For questions regarding coursework, examinations, etc., please contact your departmental exchange coordinators: You can find the list of coordinators here.