Information about handling the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Students and staff (teaching staff, lecturers, guest lecturers and employees) at the University of Erfurt. Persons who:

• had contact with a sick person
• who are staying abroad, but who cannot return to Germany due to safety regulations in the sense of the quarantine measure
• are themselves ill (with unspecific general symptoms or respiratory problems)
• are in quarantine;

please report immediately by telephone or e-mail to your superior and in Department 2: Personnel at e-mail: personal@uni-erfurt.de (employees) or in Department 1: Studies and Teaching at e-mail: studierendenangelegenheiten@uni-erfurt.de (students). Together with you, the colleagues will then discuss the further procedure, such as the possibility of teleworking.

The Office for Equal Opportunities and Family Affairs has compiled all the important information for you on its website and is also available for further questions and advice.

>> see also the "Family at the university" website

The public health department of the city of Erfurt has appointed the Medical Care Centre Dr. Kielstein as the central information point for suspected cases of Corona. A smear test can be taken there by calling 0361/6010930 and the results will be available within approx. 48 hours. You can reach the emergency service of the panel doctors outside the office hours of the (general practitioners') practices by calling 116117.

In the meantime, there are also (rapid) test facilities in the cities and districts. However, they will no longer be free of charge from October 2021 for people who have not been vaccinated or have recovered or cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. However: International students who have been vaccinated with a vaccine not recognised in Germany will still receive free PoC antigen tests until 31 December 2021. This was announced by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). It refers to the Coronavirus Test Ordinance (TestV) of the Federal Ministry of Health.

The city of Erfurt has also included a list of medical practices that perform rapid antigen tests on its Corona website.

The University of Erfurt has set up a crisis team. It continuously assesses the very rapidly changing situation regarding the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) and makes recommendations to the Presidential Board regarding suitable protective measures. The crisis team follows the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute in its assessment and is in close contact with the Student services organisation (Studierendenwerk), the city of Erfurt, the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society and the other Thuringian universities.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the crisis management team developed a catalogue of measures, the implementation of which is intended to protect the health of employees, students and other people. These measures include temporarily suspending campus attendance, switching to digital teaching and learning formats, temporarily suspending business trips and making working hours more flexible. In addition, a protection concept has been drawn up which will be updated as necessary. The current version can be found here.

For the winter semester 2021/22, more face-to-face lectures will be held at the university again. Large lectures can/will continue to be held in digital format. However, only fully vaccinated, recovered or tested persons ("3-G" principle) will be permitted to participate in classroom lectures. The higher education institutions are thereby obliged to check compliance with this rule. Against this background, random checks - by own and external security staff - will take place. (see also www.uni-erfurt.de/en/university/current/information-about-handling-the-coronavirus-sars-cov-2/newsdetail/how-3g-works-on-campus)

University teaching in the winter semester of 2021 is to be structured as follows: The basis is the balancing of the need of many teachers and students to be able to carry out their studies in presence as far as possible and the minimisation of the risk of infection outbreaks due to participation in too many large courses. In particular, students who have enrolled since the 2020 winter semester but have not been able to study on campus and experience direct social exchange and discussion should thus be enabled to study in presence wherever it is reasonable. Of course, we also want to welcome all new students in their first semester not only to the university, but also to meet them in presence. This is offset by the need to minimise risks of COVID19 transmission as far as possible and justifiable, so that all members of the University of Erfurt can feel safe on campus and in the courses and remain healthy. Furthermore, it must remain guaranteed that teaching can be offered and participated in reliably and predictably. For this reason, seminars, exercises, courses and tutorials as well as lectures with fewer than 80 participants are to be offered in presence according to 3-G rules. All seminar rooms with their normal seating capacity are available for this purpose. Large courses (80+), on the other hand, should be offered online and asynchronously. However, there will be exceptions to this principle: Since, especially in the orientation phase and also in the large Master's programmes, considerable parts of the teaching are offered as lectures, but these students should still be able to study in presence, each subject can offer up to two large lectures in presence for the first, the third and the fifth semester respectively. The decision on this lies with the subjects, which select the most suitable lectures based on university didactic considerations. This makes it possible for students to attend at least four lectures (two in the major subject, two in the minor subject) in addition to the other courses in attendance.

For this purpose, we have updated our infection control concept in order to be able to continue to guarantee the protection of students and employees. This also includes that outside of the courses in which 3G applies, the distance regulations and the obligation to wear a qualified mask continue to apply on campus.

Students are asked to first contact the lecturers by e-mail if they need advice. We ask for your understanding that some questions, especially organisational ones, remain unanswered. We will make every effort to clarify the situation as quickly as possible and will keep you informed on a daily basis on this website.

Until further notice, the following instructions apply to students and employees (teaching staff, lecturers, guest lecturers and employees) at the University of Erfurt. Persons who:

• who had contact with a sick person;
• who are staying abroad, but who cannot return to Germany due to safety regulations in the sense of the quarantine measure;
• are themselves ill (with unspecific general symptoms or respiratory problems)
• are in quarantine;

please report immediately by telephone or e-mail to your superior and in Department 2: Personnel at e-mail: personal@uni-erfurt.de (employees) or in Department 1: Registrar‘s Office at e-mail: studierendenangelegenheiten@uni-erfurt.de (students). Together with you, the colleagues will then discuss the further procedure, such as the possibility of teleworking. The Health Office of the City of Erfurt has named the Medical Care Centre Dr. Kielstein as the central information point for returnees from risk areas – with and without symptoms. There, a smear test can be taken by telephone on +49 (0)361 6010930 and the results will be available within 48 hours. Please note that the infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is notifiable. You can reach the Kassenärztlicher Notdienst outside the office hours of the (family doctor) practices by calling 116117.

With simple measures you can help to protect yourself and others from the corona virus:

• When coughing or sneezing, keep the greatest possible distance from other people - and it is best to turn away.
• Sneeze or cough into the crook of your arm or into a handkerchief - and then dispose of the handkerchief in a bin with a lid.
• Washing hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is considered a sufficient hygiene measure. In particular, this hygiene measure must be taken after blowing the nose, sneezing or coughing. 

A brochure from the Federal Centre for Health Education provides further tips. (only available in german)

The Robert Koch Institute has published an orientation guide on this.

The university has established a corresponding procedure for this:

1. A person (student, employee, external service provider) at the University of Erfurt is tested positive for an infection with the COVID-19 virus.
2. The University of Erfurt will be informed by the responsible public health department and/or the person who tested positive at gesundheit@uni-erfurt.de or by the university management.
3. On the basis of the attendance lists or appointment confirmations (calendar entries), the contact persons of category I (persons who have been in contact with the person tested positive for more than 15 minutes) are identified and informed.
    These persons are given a quarantine order by the responsible health authority (not the university itself) and are usually tested for infection with the COVID-19 virus.
4. All persons who have been in contact with category I contact persons are initially category II contact persons. For these persons, there is a low risk of infection due to the existing regulations according to the protection concept of the University of Erfurt (definition by the RKI). Only if a positive test result is obtained for a category I contact person do category II contact persons become category I contact persons within the meaning of the above-mentioned regulations.

Example case student A from seminar B is tested positive:

• information for all seminar participants incl. teacher C
• participants, teachers and persons who have been in contact with the person who tested positive for more than 15 minutes are contact persons of category I and receive a quarantine order from the public health department
• colleagues of teacher C who were in the same breakfast room or similar are contact persons of category II.

It is important,

• that the rooms are cleaned in accordance with the infection protection concept;
• that all persons keep an eye on their contacts as a precaution in order to be able to provide information as quickly as possible in an emergency.

(status: 28.10.2020)

the paper for download

The University of Erfurt is currently making Corona self-tests available to its employees and students who are neither vaccinated nor recovering, in addition to the existing test offers for all citizens. This is to enable two tests per person and week. The state does not provide any additional funds for this, so the university takes over the financing from its own resources.

The Studierendenwerk also sells quick tests in the refectory and in the glass box for one euro. For the use of the rapid tests for people who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered, the University of Erfurt has set up a rapid test centre since 11 October, where you can carry out your rapid test under supervision and have the result certified. This certificate is valid for a maximum of 48 hours. The test centre is open Mondays to Thursdays from 7.30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The city of Erfurt has a list of medical practices that carry out antigen rapid tests on its Corona website.

Please also read our news item "How "3G" works on campus"!

+++ Attention: Vaccination certificates presented by international students are not always recognised in Germany. However, if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19 abroad with a vaccine approved in Germany, you can obtain a certificate that is also valid in Germany with your vaccination certificate issued there.This is issued by the medical care centre Dr. Kielstein in Erfurt after examination. +++

The "3G" regulation (vaccinated - recovered - tested) currently applies to classroom teaching and examinations as well as in the library. In addition, the regulations on keeping your distance, wearing masks, sufficient ventilation, etc. still apply. (see infection control concept).

In face-to-face teaching events in which all participants are fully vaccinated or have recovered ("2G"), the wearing of masks can be dispensed with if all participants expressly agree to this.

Due to current enquiries, the University of Erfurt has decided to also recognise the test certificates of other Thuringian universities within the framework of the "3G" regulations on campus for participation in classroom teaching and examinations for students and lecturers.

This means that, for example, a student at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt or the University of Jena who has taken a Corona rapid test under supervision at his or her university and had it certified, can also present this test for a course at the University of Erfurt (e.g. at the Language Centre) and does not have to take his or her own test at the University of Erfurt. The "validity" of the test at the University of Erfurt is still a maximum of 48 hours - even if the other university certifies a different time window.

At the same time, the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt has agreed to also recognise certificates from students of the University of Erfurt - however, according to the infection protection concept of the University of Applied Sciences, this is only valid for 24 hours. We ask for your attention.

Cafeteria
Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Glasbox"
Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Café "Hörsaal 7"
currently closed

Campus-Café "Hilgenfeld"
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Department 2: Personnel ("Dezernat 2: Personal") has prepared an information sheet [in German only]. There you will also find a corresponding form for recording working hours, which applies to employees covered by electronic time recording (flexitime), i.e. employees in technical and administrative departments, but not to professors and academic staff.

For the support that the University Computer and Media Center provides, please click here. Apart from this the University Computer and Media Center provides appropriate information on the possibilities of organizing video conferences on its service pages. (Attention: Login required).

Yes, the post office in the Erfurt University Library building is open. The mailbox at the main entrance to the campus is emptied regularly. (Please note the special opening hours over the turn of the year.)

No, this is not possible for security reasons. The WebDAV service can be used for encrypted access to business drives. The URMZ staff will be happy to answer any questions and provide support.

Since 4 May 2020, the University Library of Erfurt has been open again. The library provides up-to-date information about its services and the regulations for ensuring hygiene protection measures on its  web pages.

You will find the latest employee information on the internal service pages of the university under "Personnel matters" in the subheading "Work and Corona". We also draw attention to the publication of new information on our Corona information page in the "News" section.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the 53 marked workstations in the Audimax building, rooms 007 and 0012, as well as the cloakroom, are accessible via the guard at the main entrance to the campus. Should further places be required, those on the ground floor of building 1 can be made available on request.

Yes, it has been open again since 23 June 2021.