We receive updates about the spread of the virus to certain regions via media coverage almost every hour. If you have recently been in such areas and are seriously concerned that you may be one of those affected, it’s recommend, as a precautionary measure to protect your health and to avoid further infections – regardless of whether you are suffering from symptoms of the disease – you should stay at home for the time being, after consulting your direct superior in the faculties, the administration, the library, the computation centre etc. of our university. As far as it is possible for you, you are asked to perform official duties from home in such cases. The President of the HHU, Prof. Dr. Anja Steinbeck, and the Chancellor Dr. Martin Goch, as the two ultimate superiors of all academic and non-academic staff in the Rectorate, assure that for the duration of the corona problem the usual procedures regarding teleworking as well as holiday permission will be suspended where necessary, and that no one in this situation will have to expect disciplinary measures or other difficulties, should you not take up service at the HHU due to the corona problem (after consulting your direct superior).
Both the HHU President and the Chancellor say correspondingly: “We appeal to all group leaders, heads of the departments and anybody with personnel responsibility to find pragmatic and flexible solutions as long as Covid-19 continues to spread in NRW. We trust that everyone will live up to their responsibility for protecting health at the HHU, but also for maintaining operations.”   They also point out the medical advisory service provided by UKD’s Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases. The contact number for this service is 0211-81-17031. It was set up for HHU staff, students and academic community members who have recently either spent a period of time in China or other strongly affected regions themselves or who have recently had personal contact with respective persons.   In close co-ordination with the UKD university hospital, HHU follows the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommendations. Please check RKI’s website for the latest assessment of the health risk situation or the implementation of preventive measures in Germany.   RKI’s daily updated Covid-19 landing page in English: https://www.rki.de/EN/Home/homepage_node.html   Situation reports by the WHO on the coronavirus: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports