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COVID - 19

Updated 06/10/2020

 

Here are our current guidelines and response to the pandemic, we will keep this updated as a place for residents to refer to the most recent measures we have put in place and expect residents to follow.

If you have symptoms then you must make the office aware immediately, and fully self-isolate in your room for 10 days (see below). Check here for more info on symptoms, we have thermometers available. The self isolation period if you have a positive test is now 10 days for yourself and 14 days for your housemates. There’s no guarantee that you won’t catch it again if you’d had the virus already.
 


General measures



It is very important that we try to keep the house free of the virus, as everyone will need to self isolate if someone has symptoms or a positive test. We therefore have some precautions in place for you to follow in the House. These might change as the situation develops, we will keep you informed if they do. For the moment, please plan to follow these guidelines when you arrive:

 



Face Masks

 

As the general lockdown measure have been reduced and social distancing is very difficult within the house, everyone will be required to wear a face covering when using communal parts of the house (corridors / bathrooms / kitchens / laundry room i.e. anywhere that’s not your room) until further notice.

 

We will review this measure continuously, but for now it is the easiest measure to reduce the risk of spreading the virus between residents.
 

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Visitors

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Also due to COVID19,  visitors to the house are NOT allowed in order to avoid the virus being spread, as a precaution until further notice and the government guidance is updated.



Self-isolation / Quarantine


Definitions:  


+ SELF-ISOLATION is keeping contact with others to an absolute minimum, not leaving your room except to use the allocated bathroom or the house unless in an emergency

+ QUARANTINE is reducing your contact with others in the house e.g. using the kitchen at allocated times, but no restriction on your movement outdoors e.g. going to work or college


Please see full details below, paying attention to your particular situation (full 14-day self-isolation or basic 7-day quarantine).






For new and returning residents coming from countries on the UK ‘red’ list (not exempted from having to self-isolate - you can check here) or places within the UK where lockdown has been re-imposed (check here), you would need to fully self-isolate in your room for 14 days on arrival.

 

That means not using communal areas, using the bathroom allocated to self-isolating residents, and no access to the kitchens. Food/grocery orders (purchased at your expense) can be brought to your room during this time.


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The UK governmernt also requires that you travel straight here on arrival, avoiding public transport if possible and without going anywhere else (e.g. to any shops). Further information can be found here.

New/returning residents arriving from within the UK (excluding areas in lockdown) or countries on the ‘green list’ will need to do a basic quarantine for the first 7 days after you’ve moved in, so only using kitchens at certain times and avoiding communal areas, but doing your own grocery shopping and no restriction on going to work etc.

 

Folks coming from within the UK - if lockdown has been re-imposed in your region (check here to see if this applies to you) we ask that you do not use the kitchens, and use the single bathroom for self-isolating residents during your 7-day quarantine.

Kitchens


Self-isolating residents should not use the kitchens and also are not allowed to leave the house, so will need to have food brought to you that you can prepare in your rooms (ready meals, instant noodles etc.). We have arranged a buddy system for people to help each other out - see below.

 

We suggest that you order food deliveries from supermarkets online and we can arrange for these to be brought to your room, or if this is not possible we can make arrangements to get you some food and you pay us back. We can lend you a kettle if you need one.




Quarantining residents may use the kitchens at set times, these are:


Lunch time  11:30 - 13:00
Dinner time  17:00 - 19:00


Please only use the kitchens to prepare your food, making sure to clean and put away your cooking utensils, and disinfect any surfaces you touch. We have lots of cleaning supplies available in the kitchens for you to use.


You will need to eat your meals in your room, and use your bedroom sink to wash up. You will also need to prepare and eat breakfast in your rooms, so keep a stock of things like fruit and non-perishable items such as bread, coffee, breakfast bars etc. We can lend you a kettle if you need one. We’d suggest getting things like instant noodles as well, to reduce your need to use the kitchen at lunch or dinner time.





Laundry


Please only use the laundry room if you absolutely need to during this time. Make sure to wear a mask, and disinfect any surfaces you touch.



 

Bathroom


We have a single bathroom that only people in full 14-day self-isolation may use; we will show new residents where it is when you arrive. Please don’t use the other bathrooms during this time.


People in basic 7-day quarantine can use any of the other bathrooms in the house.


 

Common spaces


Remember: at the moment all residents must wear face masks outside of their rooms until further notice.


You may not use the common room, study room, or garden during quarantine or self-isolation.



 

Visitors

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You would not be allowed to have visitors from the House (or anywhere else) in your room, or to visit other students in their rooms while in quarantine or self-isolation.

 


Self-isolation buddy system

 

In order to ensure that each person has everything they need during their self-isolation, we came up with the idea of “Self-isolation buddies”, helping everyone to get to know each other and to make sure no-one feels alone during isolation. This also means that people will know that if they need help in the future, they can rely on their community :)


If you are in isolation;



  • You would need to make sure you have all essentials upon arrival which we are sending you below on the list

  • If you are missing something you could ask your buddy to buy you some (and arrange repayment), or ask the office for an emergency kit (instant noodles (2 packets a day), plates, bedding, etc)

  • You can arrange a takeaway food delivery (maximum 1 per day either for lunch or dinner) which your buddy would leave outside your room (if he/she is not available, he/she will ask someone else to help, or the office as the last option)
     

If you are helping someone in isolation;



  • You would be kindly asked to bring your buddy's food deliveries to the entrance of their room (we are encouraging everyone to minimise it to 1 delivery per day)

  • Also picking up items from the shop if she/he needs something (you can discuss how to pay/return the money)

  • Generally making sure the person is doing well, and making sure if she/he needs something urgently you or someone else is able to help



Please, take this as a change of supporting each other and building up community in the house and feel free to talk to us if you need any help or ideas.


Recommended self-isolation kit:



  • Bedding - duvet cover, pillow case, sheet (The house provides duvet, pillows and mattress cover)


  • Plate, bowl, spoon, knife, fork, kettle, mug, glass


  • Washing up liquid and sponge


  • Shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, tooth paste


  • Towel


  • Food for breakfast, lunch, dinner (dry, instant, long-life items, coffee, tea)


  • Cleaning products


  • Face mask


  • Bin bags


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