Throughout the pandemic, BU has always acted with the safety of students and staff as our first priority, including decisions around the use of face coverings on campus. With the easing of restrictions as part of step three of the Government’s roadmap on 17 May 2021, we have reviewed again the rules around wearing face coverings when on campus. These rules apply with immediate effect.
Unless exempt by law, all students, staff, contractors and visitors must wear face coverings in all BU buildings. These must be of a suitable standard, with multiple layers and form a good fit around the face and must cover both the mouth and nose.
If you are 1) working at a desk or workstation and two metres apart from another person, or 2) if you are working alone in a single-use office, or 3) working behind a perspex screen and at least two metres away from anyone else on either side of the screen, then you can choose whether to wear a face covering, although we recommend that you do so. However, you need to put on a face covering when you get up from where you are working and move around the building. It is essential that you do not have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have tested positive for it within the last two weeks.
Please note, that you must wear a face covering when in our libraries, even if you are seated more than two metres away from another person. This is required by law.
We recognise that wearing a face covering for long periods can be uncomfortable. Please do take regular breaks, especially outside where you can remove your mask. Inside, if you are in a building where this is possible, please open the windows to support the ventilation. We have completed a ventilation risk assessment for our buildings that don’t have opening windows.
Wearing a face covering while working at a safe distance from another person is a personal choice, so please respect the decision of your fellow students, our staff and any visitors on campus. We will continue to monitor and review these rules around face coverings on campus over the coming weeks and will update them as necessary in line with Government advice, local infection and transmission rates of Covid-19 and the impact of new or emerging variants.
