Covid 19 Data Policy (6th January, 2022)

In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Barts will need to ensure that it continues to provide a safe environment for people to work and study and that appropriate measures are in place to support compliance with Government guidance.

a) What data are we requesting?

  • Covid vaccination status, including the number of jabs/boosters.
  • Date of most recent vaccine/booster.

b) Why are we asking for and recording this data?

  • Individuals work in close proximity with other individuals, in small rooms, with limited ventilation.
  • Covid cases in the local area and nationally are high.

c) What are we trying to achieve by asking for and storing data pertaining to student and staff vaccination statuses?

  • Mitigating disruptions to learning.
  • Keeping vulnerable staff and students safe, along with their families.
  • Reducing the likelihood of having to close the college due to a positive case.
  • Reducing the spread of covid in our college community.

d) Can we achieve our goals without collecting this data?

  • Without this information we are limited in our ability to protect the health of staff, tutors, and students. It would also negatively impact our ability to assess and manage any risks relating to individuals working or studying at Barts.

e) How is this data stored and kept secure?

  • The data is stored on a central computer, which is password protected and only accessible by senior staff.

f) What other measures are in place to protect students and staff?

  • Masks to be worn in common areas by all staff and students, unless exempt.
  • Screens in tutorial rooms
  • Requesting that Lateral Flow Device tests be taken regularly by students and staff but daily if not fully vaccinated. Best practice would be for all students and staff to take an LFD on a daily basis, before arriving at college.
  • If an unvaccinated student or member of staff is unable to take an LF, a mask should be worn at all times, during teaching or otherwise, on the premises, unless exempt.

The use of this data must not result in any unjustified treatment of employees, students, or visitors.

Data may be withdrawn at any time, without justification, by any staff member or student who requests this.

What the government is saying about Covid 19 and isolation rules (6th January, 2022)

COVID-19 infection rates are very high and the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly. It is important that we all take steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection in the community to save lives and protect the NHS.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms you should stay at home and self-isolate immediately. You should arrange to have a PCR test as soon as possible. If this PCR test result is positive, you must continue to self-isolate.

If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, but you have a positive PCR test result, you must stay at home and self-isolate.

If you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 you are at significantly higher risk of becoming infected yourself.

If you have been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, you are less likely to become severely ill if you catch COVID-19. You are also less likely to spread COVID-19 to other people, but it is still possible for this to happen. Therefore:
if you are aged 18 years 6 months or over and you are not fully vaccinated*, and you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you are legally required to stay at home and self-isolate
if you are fully vaccinated or aged under 18 years and 6 months, and you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you are not legally required to self-isolate. However, you are strongly advised to take an LFD test every day for 7 days, and to self-isolate if any of these test results is positive

*You are fully vaccinated 14 days after having received 2 doses of an approved vaccine (such as Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Moderna/Spikevax) or one dose of the single-dose Janssen vaccine.

LFD tests are very good at identifying people who have high levels of coronavirus and are most likely to pass on infection to others, even if you do not have symptoms.