Search form

 

Coronavirus: General FAQ

General

Where can I find general information about the spread of the coronavirus?

The "World Health Organization", the "Robert Koch Institute", one of the most important bodies for the safeguarding of public health in Germany, the German Federal Ministry of Health, and the "Gesundheitsamt Bremen” (Bremen’s Health Office) all provide very valuable information on the current development regarding COVID-19. If you are looking for Bremen-specific information, we recommend following the website of Bremen’s senate, where you can find all relevant phone numbers, information on COVID-19 ambulances as well as the latest measures taken by Bremen’s Senate. Constructor University also provides information on the coronavirus and measures the university takes on its website. This information is frequently updated.

Where can I get coronavirus updates about Constructor University?

For information on Constructor University’s status and practices regarding COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 information page

An overview of the current corona regulations on campus is available here.

Will Constructor University remain open or is it possible for the colleges (halls of residence) to close in the future due to restrictions by the German government? If so, does the University have a plan for this?

With regard to accommodation and food services for our students, the university has no intention and no plans of closing the campus and its colleges (halls of residence). Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, Constructor University has maintained both accommodation and food services available for all students.
Our overriding principle is to protect the health and safety of our employees AND our students – who not only study, and do research here, but also live on campus.
For about 1,000 students the Constructor University campus is their home during the semester. They all have both, a study and rental contract with Constructor University, which all remain valid during the regular period of a semester.

Given this, Constructor University has all intentions of continuing to keep the residential colleges open during semester, as the majority of the students have an ongoing need of accommodation, catering and community support.
The University is making all necessary arrangements to maintain all operations in this domain, even inthe event of students needing to be quarantined. Moreover, our contact with the Bremen health authorities and with the State of Bremen indicates that we need not expect them to force closure of the campus and its colleges.

Is it safe to stay on Constructor University’s campus?

The spread and the risk situation regarding COVID-19 changes daily. Therefore, it is not possible to make any verifiable or reliable statement about where, in which area, city or country it is safer to stay and live, today or in the future. In addition, personal circumstances such as social environment, previous illnesses, necessity to work etc. must always be taken into account.

We kindly ask students and their parents to take into account that we are dealing with a global pandemic affecting an increasingly larger number of people in countries all over the world, including many of our students’ home countries.

Constructor University is successfully taking all possible measures to not only slow down the further spread of the virus in society as a whole – but also on the campus of Constructor University.

At Constructor University, extensive vaccination of staff has taken place, our comprehensive hygiene concept has worked extremely well, members of the Constructor University community have adjusted to studying, living, and working under Corona rules – and by the start of the fall semester 2021/22, a significant number of our students started regularly vaccinating with various offers on campus and in the city of Bremen.

Constructor University developed its hygiene, safety, health, and supply concepts for students and employees early on. With only a few Corona cases on campus over the last 2 years, these measures have proven to be extraordinarily successful, reliable, and sustainable.

What are the current guidelines for social behavior on campus?

With the aim of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also depending on current developments, the Federal Government and the Federal States (including the State of Bremen) agreed to adapt the respective guidelines for behavior and for freedom of movement and mobility. These are binding for all people staying in Germany.

  • You can find the latest information and regulations from the German government on COVID-19 here (GERMAN only).
  • The latest information on the situation in Bremen (number of current COVID-19 cases, recommended precaution measures and links to the offices and departments in charge) is available here.

Accordingly, Constructor University regularly adapts its guidelines for social behavior on the campus to the legal requirements. Appropriate changes and adjustments are communicated to students, staff and faculty members, partners and guests on campus as required.

An overview of current corona regulations on the campus of Constructor University can be accessed here.

All regulations and guidelines must be respected and will be enforced by campus and local authorities.

What are the current regulations for entering onto Constructor University campus grounds?

As of April 2, 2022, there are no general regulations for entering the Campus of Constructor University.

But, please note that different rules may apply to different event formats on campus. Access restriction can be either 3G (vaccinated, recovered, tested), 2G (vaccinated, recovered) or 2G+ (vaccinated, recovered + tested or having received the vaccine less than three months ago [boosted]).

What are the current guidelines for teaching?

The latest information regarding the teaching and examination guidelines can be found on the Registrar Services website.

Events

Please note that different rules may apply to different event formats on campus. Access restriction can be either 3G (vaccinated, recovered, tested), 2G (vaccinated, recovered) or 2G+ (vaccinated, recovered + tested or having received the vaccine less than three months ago [boosted]).

What individual precautionary measures does Constructor University recommend its community members to follow?

Constructor University is taking all measures to slow down the further spread of the virus in the whole society – this is a question of solidarity within a society as a whole.

Therefore, Constructor University recommends its community members to take all precautionary measures available to stay healthy. An overview of current corona regulations on the campus of Constructor University can be accessed here.

What safety measures are taken regarding the catering facilities?

Our longstanding and trustful catering provider “apetito catering” has taken different and comprehensive measures in order to help prevent the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and to protect all students, guests, and staff/faculty members. We ask for support from the whole Constructor University community in order to support and respect all these measures, and any further measures as circumstances demand.

In addition to all adjustments in the offer and procedure, apetito catering will take additional hygienic precautions for all members of their staff.

The respective current measures and regulations are extensively communicated and published at the appropriate time and place on campus.

All regulations have been approved by the local authorities and are valid until further notice. All regulations must be respected and will be enforced by campus and local authorities accordingly.

I have COVID-19 symptoms and would like to get tested. What should I do?

In case you suffer from fever, cough or respiratory symptoms OR have had direct contact with people who are demonstrably ill showing COVID-19 symptoms

  • First contact your primary care physician by telephone! Do not go directly to the doctor's practice or the corona ambulance!
  • Outside the regular office hours of your doctor's practice – like in the evening/night and during the weekend – you can call the Central Health Service of Bremen: CALL 0421-116 117
  • Calls may take a while to get answered. And the Central Health Service of Bremen is running a German language telephone information service, so please wait until a contact person answers directly. Stay on the line and answer all the questions.
  • Follow the instructions provided!
  • Under no circumstances should the doctor's office or the Corona Ambulance be visited directly!

Be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • General Information: name, last name, mailing address, your health insurance number and provider
  • Symptoms: what kind of symptoms like fever, cough, breathing difficulties, or any other respiratory symptoms do you experience? Since when? Have you already sought medical advice?
  • Travel History: what is your travel history in the last 2 months? In which cities, regions, and countries have you been, when and how long?
  • Contact History: have you been in contact with people infected with coronavirus? (When, where, who?)

IMPORTANT: In case a student gets tested positive for COVID-19, we ask him/her to inform Constructor University immediately by e-mail: healthinfo@jacobs-university.de. We urge all students to follow this process since an immediate information flow is of the utmost importance in taking all precautions to contain a further spread of the virus on campus. The same process applies if you are in an ordered quarantine by the Bremen Public Health Office.
In case you are in mandatory quarantine ordered by the Bremen Public Health Office as a result of a positive test for COVID-19 and need urgent medical assistance:

  • Call your primary care physician, the Bremen Central Health Service or the Emergency Number 112 - and ALWAYS state clearly that you are in quarantine!

Support from your Health Insurance Provider

For students who are insured by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), there are two "TK-MediCall" phone numbers of the medical advisory center available. The callers can speak directly with doctors:

  • German speaking hotline: 040-46 06 - 61 91 60
  • English speaking hotline: 040 - 46 06 61 91 40

For students who are insured by the AOK, there are two German-language hotlines of the “AOK-Clarimedis” service:

  • Free of Charge for AOL members: 0800 1 265 265
  • Phone number from abroad (charges apply): 0049 3085614293

The city of Bremen has set up a general information hotline: under the telephone number 0049 421 115 you can get information (in German) about the coronavirus in Bremen.

I don’t have COVID-19 symptoms but would still like to get tested. What should I do?

The Senator for Health Bremen website provides an overview of testing opportunities in Bremen.

As a student, what happens if I test positive for COVID-19?

In case a student gets tested positive for COVID-19, we ask him/her/they to immediately inform Constructor University by e-mail: healthinfo@jacobs-university.de.

We urge all students to follow this process since an immediate information flow is of the utmost importance in taking all precautions to contain a further spread of the virus on campus.

The same process applies if you are in an ordered quarantine by the Bremen Public Health Office.

Whom can I contact in case I have individual health questions related to the Corona virus?

Please call your private physician or in case your physician is out of office Bremen’s Central Health Service at 0421-116117. Please keep in mind, calls may take a while to get answered. And the Central Health Service of Bremen is running a German language telephone information service, so please wait until a contact person is answering directly. Stay in the line and answer all the questions.

You may also call your respective Health Insurance.

For students who are insured by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), there are two "TK-MediCall" phone numbers of the medical advisory center available. The callers can speak directly with doctors:

  • German speaking hotline: 040-46 06 - 61 91 60
  • English speaking hotline: 040 - 46 06 61 91 40

For students who are insured by the AOK, there are two German-language hotlines of the “AOK-Clarimedis” service:

  • Free of Charge for AOL members: 0800 1 265 265
  • Phone number from abroad (charges apply): 0049 3085614293

Whom can students contact if they have health and mental health related concerns during the corona crisis?

For corona related concerns, please, contact: healthinfo@jacobs-university.de. This mailbox is occupied 7 days a week (but not 24/7). However, we have an on-campus emergency support, which is available to our students 24/7, also on weekends. In each college, a Resident Associate on duty is reachable day and night, whenever our students have any questions, concerns, and needs.

If you need mental advice, please, contact: counseling@jacobs-university.de

How does the university keep the students up-to-date with regard to COVID-19? Do they have direct contact people on campus?

Constructor University’s primary commitment, besides offering a first-class education, is to keep its community safe and healthy.
The well-being of our students is a top priority. For years, Constructor University has installed an on-campus emergency support, which is available to our students 24/7, also on weekends. In each college, a Resident Associate or Resident Mentor is reachable day and night, whenever our students have any questions, concerns and needs.

Additionally, our campus also has its own professional security team. It is always available to our students. Our security team safeguards the well-being of our community members.

We also host an email address for personal health inquiries (healthinfo@jacobs-university.de), which is occupied 7 days a week (but not 24/7).

Furthermore, we have a quarantine support system. Every person who is suspected to be COVID-19 positive is quarantined immediately and provided with testing, food and social support.

Regarding the spread of the coronavirus our students receive frequent and regular information through:

  • Constructor University’s intranet – where an information page on corona was set up
  • Posters, which were put up in all residential colleges and common rooms of our university
  • Update emails from the university’s leadership
  • Peer group and individual communication
  • Internal social media channels
  • Video conferences

ENTERING GERMANY & JUB CAMPUS

What countries are considered high-risk?

Please, click here for the latest list of high-risk countries named by the Robert Koch-Institute. Please note that this list can change on a daily basis.

What are the COVID-19 regulations for entering Germany?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are in place for entering Germany from a large number of countries. Moreover, individuals are often obliged to quarantine for a specific period and / or present a medical certificate stating that they are COVID-19 negative.

Different regulations apply to persons entering Germany after staying in regions with a particularly high risk of infection. These include regions with particularly high numbers of cases (high incidence areas) and regions in which virus variants of concern (areas of variant of concern) have spread. Details are available here.

For more information on the designation of international risk areas check out this RKI information page.

You can find the latest official Q&A from the Federal Ministry of Health here.

Bremen specific information is available here.

I got tested for COVID-19. How will I receive the result?

There are currently no nationwide standards for the transmission of test results. Therefore, it may vary from region to region. If you did a rapid test in an official test center, you generally receive the result directly at the test center with the appropriate certificate. Test results may also be transmitted via e-mail, SMS, personal phone calls, via the official Website https://www.mein-laborergebnis.de.

Generally, test results are transmitted after a short waiting time. You can retrieve the test result as a digital certificate in German/English/French via app or alternatively as a printout.

We therefore recommend installing the official "Corona-Warn-App" of the German government on your smartphone.

IMPORTANT: In case a student gets tested positive for COVID-19, we ask him/her to inform Constructor University immediately by e-mail: healthinfo@jacobs-university.de. We urge all students to follow this process since an immediate information flow is of the utmost importance in taking all precautions to contain a further spread of the virus on campus. The same process applies if you are in an ordered quarantine by the Bremen Public Health Office.

CORONA-WARN-APP

We recommend the entire Constructor University Community to use the official "Corona-Warn-App" to fight the further spread of COVID-19.

The Corona-Warn-App helps us to determine whether we have had any contact with an infected person which could result in a risk of catching the virus. This way, we can interrupt chains of infection more quickly. The app is a service by the Federal Government. Download and use of the app are entirely voluntary and free of charge. It is available as download in the Apple App Store as well as in Google Play. The app is supporting German, English and Turkish language settings. It is expected to be available in five other languages shortly: Arabic, Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian and Russian are currently under development. The respective language of the app is based on the system language setting of your smartphone.

Country availability

Currently, most corona apps are only available in the respective app stores of each country. This is due to the fact that the users mostly live in the respective country. Also, the processes behind the app, including those related to testing, are based on the respective national health structures.

The official “Corona-Warn-App” for Germany is available to download in all national app stores in the European Union, as well as in Switzerland, Norway, Great Britain and Turkey (see RKI list of countries here.

If your Apple Store or your Google Play is set to another than these countries you will have to switch your country settings manually in order to download and use the Corona-Warn-App.

The Bremen Health Office is recommending the following procedure:

Official "Corona-Warn-App"

  • Download the official “Corona-Warn-App
  • During the COVID-19 test you will receive a written confirmation with an individual QR code. This is directly linked to your test sample and is also sent to the laboratory.
  • By scanning the QR code with the official "Corona-Warn-App" (see below) you can set up an automatic notification when your test result is available.
  • Official Website “mein-laborergebnis.de“
  • Enter the multi-digit QR number you received during the COVID-19 test on the website www.mein-laborergebnis.de
  • Check if your test result is already available.

It will take about 24-72 hours until the test result is available. Your data will only be transmitted if you have agreed to this.

The Bremen Health Office will only contact you in case of a positive test result.

* The information provided in our FAQ is updated on a regular basis. However, depending on the ever-changing number of new Covid-19 infections in Germany, official regulations can change quickly. We therefore kindly ask you to always also consider official information provided by the German and Bremen authorities to reliably be informed on the latest regulations.