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Coronavirus updates

Friday 7 February, 3pm

University open and operating as normal

We understand that staff and students are justifiably concerned about the coronavirus. We want to reassure you again that the risk is low and remind staff and students that the University is operating as normal.

Change in guidance for travellers

The UK Chief Medical Officers are now advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild.

If this applies to you, please follow the advice and email student-hub@york.ac.uk to let them know.

Patient confidentiality and respect

Please remember, the student diagnosed with coronavirus has the right to confidentiality. We would also like to remind all staff and students that the University is a community of respect and that any act of abuse or hate speech is unacceptable and should be reported to the University or the local police.

General advice

Even though the risk of further infection is low, it makes sense to practice good hygiene:

  • Frequently clean your hands by using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing and sneezing
  • Bin the tissue immediately and wash your hands
  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever and cough

Previous updates

Friday 7 February, 10.30am

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice

The FCO is currently advising against all travel to Hubei Province, and against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China. If you’re in China and able to leave, you should do so. See the latest travel advice for China.

Wednesday 5 February, 5pm

Updates to frequently asked questions

Who is Public Health England (PHE)?

Public Health England is the official organisation that provides the government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with professional and scientific expertise and support on public health related issues. They are the agency that has been tasked with leading investigation into the coronavirus outbreak.

Why are we concerned about patient confidentiality?

Patient confidentiality is the right of an individual to have personal, identifiable medical information kept private. Such information should be available only to the medical staff, and other health care and insurance personnel as necessary. Legally we have to comply with the wishes of a patient should they wish to keep their anonymity and their medical records confidential. It is therefore important that we are careful when we are handling this situation and the communications we issue, not to breach patient confidentiality.

Is the patient aware that this information is being shared?

We are in contact with the medical staff who are treating the affected student to ensure that the patient is aware of our communications. We are taking great care to balance the need to provide important information to our staff and students with the need to protect patient confidentiality. We would ask everyone in our community to respect patient confidentiality, not to speculate as to their identity and to continue to use our website or http://www.gov.uk/coronavirus as a source of validated information.

When did the affected individuals arrive in the UK and when did they arrive in York?

We don’t know this information; however, we wouldn't be able to share this information if we did have it, as it risks compromising the confidentiality of the patients. Public Health England is continuing to trace and contact anyone who may have had contact with the affected individuals. PHE has continued to stress that the risk to anyone on our campus or in student accommodation including private student accommodation remains negligible.

Why didn’t you tell us the affected student was living in Vita Student sooner?

The affected student did not come into contact with the virus on campus or in the Vita accommodation. Initially, Public Health England (PHE) confirmed to the University that the student had not been present in student accommodation on or off campus between the point of being exposed to the virus and being taken to hospital. As soon as PHE released this new information, the University informed all staff and students. We understand that this update will cause concern, and we would like to stress that the level of risk remains negligible.

See previous FAQs

Tuesday 4 February, 6pm

This update is also available in Mandarin:

Public Health England (PHE), as part of its on-going investigation into coronavirus in York, has now confirmed that the diagnosed student has a tenancy at Vita Student, a private student accommodation provider located in the City.

PHE has also confirmed that the student was not in Vita Student accommodation when they came into contact with the virus, but did return to their room on one occasion and stayed overnight. During this brief period the student did not meet other residents or staff at the building or make use of the communal facilities. PHE has confirmed that they do not need to undertake any contact tracing with residents of Vita Student.

This additional information has come to light as part of PHE’s ongoing investigations and after they conducted further interviews with those affected by the virus. PHE confirms while this is new information, it does not change their risk assessment of 'low', and that there is negligible risk of onward transmission of the virus.

The accommodation is used by students from both University of York and York St John University. We recognise that this additional information from PHE may cause concern especially for students living in Vita Student.

University of York and York St John University are working with colleagues at Vita Student to provide additional advice and support for the residents. This will come in the form of a team from both universities and Vita Student, who will be at the residence this evening to answer any questions and provide other support and guidance.

We would like to reassure the students at Vita Student accommodation that PHE has stressed that they are not at risk and no further precautionary measures are necessary. There are no restrictions of any kind to students’ ability to come and go from their apartments and to attend all classes and seminars as normal.

We would also like to underline that the wellbeing, privacy and anonymity of the affected student remains paramount and we ask people to respect that.

The dedicated call centre at the University of York remains open for staff and students at both universities, and the wider York community, should they have any further concerns or questions. The number is 01904 809571 and will be open until 10pm on 4th February.

The University is continuing to liaise closely with senior staff at PHE who are taking the lead in all aspects of the management of the investigation. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide regular advice and updates to our students and staff as and when any new information becomes available from PHE's ongoing investigation.

Max Bielby, Managing Director of Vita Student, said: “As confirmed by Public Health England (PHE), the affected student is a resident in our City of York accommodation, and did return to their apartment for an overnight period. We are reassured that the PHE investigation has established that the student did not come into contact with any other resident in the Vita Student development, and that no additional precautionary measures are required. Ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents is Vita Student’s utmost priority and we will continue to follow and share all guidance provided by PHE with our residents. Support and advice is being provided by Vita Student in conjunction with PHE as well as the University of York and York St John University to concerned residents.”

FAQs

Why has this new information only come to light now?

The information has come to light as part of on-going investigations by Public Health England (PHE) into coronavirus in York. We have been following advice and guidance from PHE who have led the investigations into the case. Subsequent investigations have established that the student had a tenancy with a private provider - Vita Student. PHE has also confirmed that the student was not in Vita Student accommodation when they came into contact with the virus, but did return to their room on one occasion and stayed overnight. During this brief period the student did not meet other residents or staff at the building or make use of the communal facilities. PHE has confirmed that they do not need to undertake any contact tracing with residents of Vita Student.

What action is the University taking?

A team from the University of York and York St John University as well as staff from Vita Student are at the residence to provide any required support and advice. The University call centre also remains open until 10pm on Tuesday 4 February. The number is 01904 809571.

Is the accommodation still open?

Yes. PHE have stated that this new information does not impact the level of risk which remains very low. There is negligible risk of onward transmission of the virus. The accommodation remains open and operating normally.

There are no restrictions of any kind to students’ ability to come and go from their apartments and to attend all classes and seminars as normal.

How can you be sure the student did not come into contact with any other residents?

PHE are confident the student did not come into contact with residents or staff. Following an internal review, Vita Student is also confident the student did not come into contact with residents or staff.

What precautions should I be taking?

  • Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing and sneezing
  • Bin the tissue immediately and wash hands
  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever and cough

See previous FAQs

Sunday 2 February, 4pm

Joint update statement for Chinese students and staff (PDF).

Sunday 2 February, 1.30pm

Following a small number of enquiries asking if the affected student had attended either the University of York student organised Chinese New Year celebration or the recent Graduation ceremonies; we can confirm that the student affected did not attend either of these events.

Sunday 2 February, 10.30am

Latest Government advice for travellers from China

Travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province

If you have travelled from Wuhan or Hubei Province to the UK in the last 14 days you should immediately:

  • stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
  • call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area

If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.

Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.

Travellers from elsewhere in China

If you have travelled from elsewhere in China (but not Macao or Hong Kong) to the UK in the last 14 days and develop symptoms of cough, fever or shortness of breath, you should immediately:

  • stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
  • call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country

If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.

Please follow this advice even if your symptoms are minor.

Any students following this self-isolation advice should also email student-hub@york.ac.uk or telephone 01904 324140.

Saturday 1 February, 7.00pm

The University’s coronavirus incident response team have held further discussions with senior colleagues in Public Health England. PHE’s analysis of the situation, combined with the University’s own internal investigations, confirm the following:

  • The diagnosed student was not on campus or in student accommodation for the period before they were exposed to the virus.
  • The diagnosed student was not on campus or in student accommodation after being exposed to the virus.

This means that we can again reiterate PHE’s assurance that the risk level to our staff and students remains low.

Respecting patient confidentiality and the privacy of our student is paramount and we want to reiterate what our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charlie Jeffery, said in his statement to the media earlier today,

“We recognise that there is significant media interest in this situation but we would appeal to all of you to respect the privacy of those now under the care of the NHS, and our wider community of staff and students.”

We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and we will continue to provide as much advice, care and support as we can to anyone affected by this situation, and as directed by Public Health England. We will continue to post any further information as and when it becomes available on this web page.

Saturday 1 February, 11.00am

Further to reports that the two cases of coronavirus diagnosed in England concerned two individuals in York, Public Health England (PHE) have now informed us that one of the two individuals to have tested positive for coronavirus is a student at the University of York. We understand this development will cause concern and anxiety among our students, staff, and the wider community.

Our immediate concerns are for the affected student and family, along with the health and continued wellbeing of our staff, students and visitors.

We are working closely with NHS services and Public Health England who are taking the lead in responding to the case and we will take direction from them in all aspects of this situation.

We want to reassure you that PHE has advised us that the risk of infection being passed to others on campus is low. Current information from PHE suggests that the student did not come into contact with anybody on campus whilst they had symptoms but PHE investigations are ongoing to fully establish this.

All relevant public health information, including regular updates, is posted at www.gov.uk/coronavirus. If people have any concerns about their health in relation to suspected coronavirus we ask that they follow current PHE advice and contact NHS 111.

The University has already had some calls about the prior media coverage that had reported that the diagnosed individuals had been in York. We have therefore created a call centre to deal with any further queries from staff and students. Anyone who has any further concerns or inquiries should contact 01904 809571.

Our media relations team are leading on all aspects of engagement and liaison with the media for the university, in partnership with PHE.

The University continues to operate normally. We are monitoring the situation closely and we will continue to provide as much advice, care and support as we can to our University community.

We will continue to provide updates as and when we have them on this page.

Answers to questions you may have are provided below.

Is the University open?

Yes, the University is open and operating as normal.

What action is the University taking?

We have followed all PHE advice and guidance and communicated regularly with our staff and students. We are working closely with NHS services and Public Health England who are taking the lead in responding to the case and we will take direction from them in all aspects of this situation.

A small group, led by the University’s Deputy Registrar, and supported by the Registrar and Secretary, the Director of External Relations and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching Learning and Students, who will ensure coordination of all relevant activities and liaison with PHE.

The University continues to operate normally. We are monitoring the situation closely and we continue to provide as much advice, care and support as we can to our University community. Additional hand sanitiser facilities have been put in place across the university.

The University has set up a call centre over the weekend for anyone who has any further concerns or inquiries. The telephone number is 01904 809571. Any further updates will be issued on our website.

What is the advice if I am travelling back from China?

Travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province

If you have travelled from Wuhan or Hubei Province to the UK in the last 14 days you should immediately:

  • stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
  • call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area

If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.

Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.

Travellers from elsewhere in China

If you have travelled from elsewhere in China (but not Macao or Hong Kong) to the UK in the last 14 days and develop symptoms of cough, fever or shortness of breath, you should immediately:

  • stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
  • call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country

If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.

Please follow this advice even if your symptoms are minor.

Any students following this self-isolation advice should also email student-hub@york.ac.uk or telephone 01904 324140.

I’m really worried, what do I do?

We have been told by Public Health England that the risk of further contamination is low. You can continue as normal, remembering to to follow good hygiene practices as advised by Public Health England. If you have specific health concerns, please contact NHS 111.

Public Health England will directly contact any people they believe may have been in contact with any infected individuals.

I have an underlying health condition - what should I do?

Individuals who have existing Long Term Condition and are concerned about coronavirus should continue to take their normal precautions and may wish to contact their GP. As advised by PHE the risks continue to be low of the coronavirus infection spreading. If people with Long Term Conditions have concerns they may have the coronavirus, they should telephone NHS 111.

Should I wear a face mask?

The advice we have is that the risk of infection is low so extra protective measures are not necessary and it is debatable whether masks will be effective in this situation.

However, it is a recognised custom for Asian communities to wear face masks to protect themselves and, in particular, others from the possibility of infection. It is very important that we recognise and respect this custom. Sadly we have reports of staff and students receiving verbal abuse for using face masks and we would encourage all members of our community to be inclusive and supportive of what is a personal choice.

As a member of staff, can I work remotely?

This should not be necessary due to the advice from PHE that there is a low risk . However, if there are particular circumstances that might require you to work remotely these should be discussed with your department.

The university is open and running as normal, so we advise students to attend their scheduled activities. Lecture recording will take place as usual, but, also as usual, other learning activities like seminars and labs will not be recorded. In all cases students get the maximum benefit by continuing to attend. We do not envisage changing any assessments.

As a student, can I engage with my studies remotely?

This should not be necessary due to the advice from PHE that there is a low risk of further infection.

The university is open and running as normal, so we advise students to attend their scheduled activities. Lecture recording will take place as usual, but, also as usual, other learning activities like seminars and labs will not be recorded. In all cases students get the maximum benefit by continuing to attend. We do not envisage changing any assessments.

Should I / my son / daughter go home?

We appreciate that you’re concerned, although we have been told by Public Health England that the risk of further contamination is low.

The University is open and running as normal, so we advise students to attend their scheduled activities. Lecture recording will take place as usual, but, also as usual, other learning activities like seminars and labs will not be recorded. In all cases students get the maximum benefit by continuing to attend. We do not envisage changing any assessments.

If you/your son/daughter decide(s) to go home please ensure that you let their department know.

Are any students in quarantine or self-isolating?

We are not able to comment on individual cases. However, following PHE advice anybody in the UK who has returned from Wuhan or Hubei Province in the last 14 days is asked to self isolate. More info can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public

If advised by NHS 111 to self-isolate, please contact the Student Hub by emailing student-hub@york.ac.uk or telephone 01904 324140. The Student Hub will be open again on Monday morning. You can also contact your college or department for advice and support.

I am a student and I am being threatened and abused. What should I do?

We take all allegations of abuse and harassment very seriously. Students are encouraged to report the matter to the university here or the police by visiting your local police station or by phone.

I’m due to travel to China, what should I do?

We are, as we always are, following the advice provided by Foreign and Commonwealth Office when we monitor any student or staff travel to any nation. The current advice - which we are adhering to - is to avoid all travel to Hubei Province, and to avoid all but essential travel to mainland China for the foreseeable future.

I’m worried about my tier-4 visa if I self isolate or go back to China, who can I ask?

If you have any concerns about your visa please contact the Immigration Support team.

Friday 31 January, 4.00pm

Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that two patients, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus.

PHE has now confirmed that these two patients had been staying in a hotel in York. As a result the University is, understandably, receiving a large number of queries from students, parents and staff.

The University continues to operate normally. We are monitoring the situation closely and our priority is to provide as much advice, care and support as we can to our University community.

Public Health England provide advice on their website which is updated daily.

We will update this page as and when further information becomes available.

Who to contact

For official advice and health concerns:

For queries specific to University life:

For queries from the media:

Showing respect to each other

A joint statement from the Vice-Chancellor and the presidents of YUSU and GSA.