Last week, the Government announced that from today, Monday 14 September 2020, it will be against the law to meet with people from other households socially in groups of more than six. Even though education activities are exempt, it will still be important for staff and students to understand how and when it will apply.
On our campuses
Educational activity (i.e. delivering or receiving lectures, seminars, tutorials etc) is exempt so you do not have to follow the six person rule in these circumstances. You must still follow university guidance to keep yourself and others safe.
If you are working on campus the six person rule does not apply to your professional activities, however you must still follow university guidance.
In addition, the six person rule does not apply to organised indoor and outdoor sports, physical activities and exercise classes. The full list of team sports, outdoor sport and exercise that are exempt can be found under the gyms and leisure centre guidance produced by the government.
However, if you are socialising on campus, for example meeting with friends after a lecture or an informal gathering of colleagues, you must not meet in groups of more than 6 people, either inside or outside. If you are meeting individuals who are not in your ‘household’, you will still need to practise physical distancing. If you are meeting individuals who are all part of your household, you may gather in a larger group than six, but this group cannot include individuals outside of your ‘household’.
Off campus
As members of a caring and respectful university community, students and staff are also expected to abide by the most up to date government guidance when travelling and living across the city.
If you live in a household of more than six people, you are classed as one ‘household’ or support bubble. However, you must not socialise with groups of more than six people outside of your ‘household’ group.
In halls of residence
Across all of our halls of residence students living withing the same ‘flat’ will be identified as a ‘household’, regardless of the number of people in it.
Students living in our halls of residence must not socialise with groups of more than six people outside of their ‘household’ group.
Guidance on the extensive measures already taken by the University to ensure our staff and students are safe, and to create a ‘COVID-secure’ environment is available on our COVID webpages and reinforced through emails, SUSSED News, Staff Digest and other local communications from your department.
We expect that managers and academic staff also continue to communicate guidance with their staff and students.
