We are once again at a critical point in the fight against the Coronavirus and we all need to play our part. 

Yesterday afternoon the Government announced that tighter restrictions on Nottinghamshire will be introduced on Wednesday in a bid to curb a rising rate of infection and growing numbers of Coronavirus cases.

The University, City and region we are proud to call home, must work together and do everything we can to try and stop the spread of the infection. This is a challenge that we did not seek, but we need to seize the opportunity to respond collectively. While the high numbers of cases are linked to younger people this is not about demonising any demographic and our partners are keen to stress that this is a shared problem we can all help solve.

Nottinghamshire has been moved into high alert level. This category of restrictions means that, from Wednesday 14 October:

• Households must not mix indoors
• The rule of six still applies outdoors

Schools and universities will remain open and our teaching and research activities will be able to continue as planned.

Over the weekend we have been implementing new measures in halls and off-campus to make staying in easier and to facilitate the non-mixing of households.

For many of our students, particularly those who are new to Nottingham, we appreciate this will be especially difficult since you have started to form friendship groups and will be trying to settle into University life.

University-owned Halls of Residence

To make it as easy as possible we will be writing to all students to remind them of their household groups. We will make these groups more easily identifiable, and reduce the size of some households by removing shared pantry spaces.

We will be increasing the amount of space available within halls, including creating additional temporary spaces, for you to socialise as a household.

And we will increase the programme of events in halls and on campus so there is plenty to keep you entertained.

We will also be introducing porters who will advise students on new measures, provide support, reassurance and encouragement to help ensure that these tighter restrictions are followed and provide intervention if necessary.

Third-party Halls

For those living in third party-run accommodation much of the same measures will apply. You will have access to increased activities, offers and events to enable you to socialise within the guidelines and we will be working closely with your accommodation provider to ensure you are supported during the duration of the new changes.

Off campus

For our students living off-campus we will be in touch to explain how these new changes will affect you and to offer support. We will be providing you access to activities, events and discount vouchers. We will also increase our work with Community Protection so that we have more officers in the community explaining, encouraging and reassuring our students about the new restrictions while also being able to intervene and enforce restrictions where necessary. Again these should be seen as measures to keep everyone safe.

As a University we have been very clear about the behaviours we expect from our community – particularly in light of the challenging times we all face. Although the majority of our students are doing the right thing, under the University’s student Code of Conduct there are serious consequences for those who do not obey the rules, including disciplinary action, fines and campus sanctions – in addition to police fines.

The University will not hesitate to take action – especially where people’s lives are being put at risk.

We have worked hard to put into place a wide range of measures to ensure that our campuses are COVID-secure so that you are able to continue to experience our blended learning approach, including face-to-face teaching where safe to do so.

We are committed to ensuring you receive the best possible university experience, albeit in the challenging circumstances we now face.

Support

We know many of you will be concerned about these new restrictions and how they will all impact the small amount of freedom we have enjoyed since national lockdown restrictions were removed.

Over the next week we will be carrying out a series of briefings in halls – giving people the chance to absorb the details of the new announcement and ask questions about how it will affect them.

We will be carrying out additional welfare checks on students isolating, particularly those who might be more vulnerable. We have also increased the amount of information available on our webpages, including support for those in isolation, information on how to get a coronavirus test and a reminder of the process if you become ill.

Our University is made up of a diverse community and we all must do our best to make a difference. Everyone needs to play their part to ease the new restrictions quickly and support our communities and businesses to flourish. Our actions today will make a difference to lives tomorrow.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long and Students’ Union Development Officer Madeleine Fox