MU modifies white light setting, respirators won’t be compulsory
MU is modifying the rules in the white traffic-light system based on new government measures. The new rules will be effective as of Monday, 14 March.
New COVID-19 testing rules went into effect on Monday, 24 May
New rules allow people who received their first dose of the vaccine at least 22 days ago to be present in MU offices, to stay in dormitories, or attend classes without being tested.
This FAQ, which has been provided by vice-rector for development, legislation and information technologies, Radim Polčák, explains the new government measures related to testing.
How will the changes in testing requirements for employees and students that went into effect on 24 May affect university life?
The new rules allow people who received their first dose of the vaccine at least 22 days ago to be present in offices, to stay in dormitories, or attend classes without being tested. In addition, people who have tested positive in the last 180 days are also exempt from testing (this has been extended from 90 days). Anyone who meets these criteria no longer has to get tested.
How will the university keep records?
There is an application in INET, where employees can enter the date of their first vaccination or positive test results. This app is already up and running and will only be modified so that the system knows who no longer needs a test. There is also an application in IS for students, but for the time being the date of the first vaccination cannot be entered there. But the development team at the Faculty of Informatics’ Computer Systems Unit is working on fixing this issue.
Can the university confirm the date of my first vaccination so I can go to the hairdresser’s or sit outside at a restaurant?
First, it should be noted that the university confirmation that can be downloaded and printed from INET is only helpful for employees. Students, instead of confirmation, use sworn statements that can be printed in IS. Both confirmations for employees and sworn statements for students can be used as evidence of having taken an antigen home test. The university cannot provide confirmation of other types of tests or vaccination to employees or students. To prove that a student or employee has tested negative on a PCR or antigen test, they must present the text message sent or printed confirmation issued by the testing centre. The Helping Hand (Podané ruce) association, which is MU’s official partner for testing employees and students, sends text messages to everyone who has been tested. Other testing centres send similar text messages or issue documents to all people who have undergone testing. The university also cannot confirm that you have been vaccinated. If you want to visit a pub or get your hair cut, you must present the document you received when you got your first dose of the vaccine.
IS and INET can both generate QR codes with confirmation. What are they for?
These university QR codes, which are called COVID passports in our systems, are neither confirmations nor sworn statements that can be used to visit pubs. These codes are used within the university to quickly confirm that an employee or student meets the criteria for attending classes, staying at dormitories, or being present in offices. Of course, it would be ideal if these codes could be used to confirm outside of MU that members of the MU community have tested negative or been vaccinated, but that is impossible. First, we cannot provide confirmation of test results or vaccination, with the exception of home testing results, outside the university. Second, there are differences in how long different test results are valid. With a home test, you can go to work all week but can only go to the pub 72 hours after taking it. Just because our QR codes show whether an employee or student can be present in an MU office or in classes, it doesn’t mean that they can automatically go for a haircut.
When will the new rule about not having to be tested after receiving an initial dose of the vaccine come into effect at MU?
The changes went into effect 24 May, and all employees and students who received their first vaccination at least 22 days ago will be allowed to attend classes, stay in dormitories, or be present in offices without having to get tested. This new rule also applies to people who have had lab-confirmed COVID-19 within the past 180 days. If you meet this criterion but on Monday 24 May you get a message on one of MU’s systems saying that you cannot attend class, stay at a dormitory, or go to the office, ignore it, and simply notify your teacher or supervisor of your arrival. Teams from the Institute of Computer Science and the Computer Systems Unit have been working on repairing the issue since the weekend, and the matter should be resolved within a few days at the latest. This problem arose because the government made decisions about the new measures on Friday and officially announced them on Saturday. Moreover, the changes that were initially announced at the Friday press conference were not identical to those officially made public the next day.