Information COVID-19

Jacobs University’s primary commitment, besides offering a first-class education, is to keep its community – students, staff, partners, and guests – safe and healthy.

With regard to the ongoing global spread of COVID-19, Jacobs University has taken intensive measures to protect all students, guests and staff members at a very early stage.

Already in January 2020, Jacobs University established an internal coronavirus task force in which members of all areas of the university are represented. Consisting of various departments this task force monitors available data and all developments in regards to the virus off-campus and on-campus, decides on further measures and prepares their implementation. This includes gathering information and recommendations from the "World Health Organization", the "Robert Koch Institute", one of the most important bodies for the safeguarding of public health in Germany, the Federal Ministry of Health and the "Gesundheitsamt Bremen” (Bremen’s Health Office).

Ensuring health and safety means taking actions that aim to limit exposure of Jacobs community members to the virus, imposing social distancing, and generally elevating preventive hygiene practices across the campus.

Jacobs 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 year and exclusively among returning travelers, these measures have proven to be extraordinarily successful, reliable, and sustainable.

Coordinated by the task force, all members of our community receive direct and regular information through

• Jacobs University’s intranet
• Posters, which were put up in all residential colleges and common rooms
• Update emails from the university’s leadership
• Peer group and individual communication
• Social media channels
• Video conferences
• Regular direct briefings with student representatives

Jacobs University recommends its community members to take all precautionary measures available to stay healthy:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. In order to enable this, Jacobs University has installed hand disinfectant dispensers in all serveries, the coffee bar and all relevant administrative offices. Also, free individual disinfection dispensers are available to all Jacobs affiliates.
• Maintain social distancing (maintain at least 1.5 meters distance.)
• Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization

Germany has decided to make wearing a surgical mask or a mask of the standards FFP2 or KN95/N95 compulsory on public transport, while shopping, in certain public spaces and in all indoor areas where people can’t keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters from another person.

In Bremen the 3G rule applies on public transport:  you have to be prepared to show your 3G proof (vaccinated, recovered, tested) upon request.

According to the Infection Protection Act, if the "seven-day incidence" (new infections per 100,000 population) threshold of 100 is exceeded on three consecutive days in a county or a city, the wearing of FFP2 / KN95/N95 masks - instead of a surgical mask – may be mandatory. Please refer to the regulations in your region.

See also these recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO)

3G Rule and how it applies in public spaces in Germany

The German Federal Government decided that starting August 23 2021, the new 3G Regulations (geimpft, genesen, getestet- or “vaccinated, recovered, tested”) will come into effect. In regions where the incidence rate is above 35, those who are not vaccinated will have to present a negative coronavirus test to attend indoor events.

Anyone who is not fully vaccinated or has not recovered from the illness will have to present a rapid antigen test that is no more than 24 hours old or a PCR test that is no more than 48 hours old in order to take part in any indoor events. Testing will therefore become mandatory when visiting hospitals, nursing and care homes and for access to indoor cafés and restaurants, for instance, as well as for attending celebrations and events, or using personal care services such as hairdressers’ or cosmetics studios. The same rule will apply to indoor sports and to overnight accommodation at hotels and guest houses. The German States have the power to wholly or partially suspend the 3G rule in districts with low infection figures. Please visit the website of the Federal Government for more information.

(source: German Federal Government Website)

Apps to download:

In order to access public indoor areas on campus and during events, we request that students use the “Luca App” for contact tracing. Students will be asked to “check-in” to all indoor area gatherings (lectures, workshops, events).

We encourage the entire Jacobs Community to use the official "Corona-Warn-App" of the German government 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. It is available as a free download in the App Store as well as in the Google Play.

(source: German Federal Government Website)

For further information on these apps and how they will be used on the Jacobs University Campus, please visit our Corona FAQ.

With the aim of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and 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, Jacobs 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 Jacobs University can be accessed here.

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

We understand these are massive restriction on campus life and our personal freedom. Please know that none of us have a choice at this point. All these rules are from the highest federal authority intended to protect us all from the ongoing pandemic.

Jacobs University continuously strives to expand options to protect the members of our community within the scope of our possibilities and our legal requirements.
 
In view of the continuously changing number of corona cases in Germany and in Bremen, and the increasing demand for COVID-19 tests, the Bremen Health Authority has issued instructions and recommendations for personal examinations. Also, these regulations and procedures may change in time.

The pages of the Senator for Health Bremen provide an overview of testing possibilities in Bremen.
 
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 is answering directly. Stay on the line and answer all the questions.  
• Follow the instructions  

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 Jacobs University immediately by e-mail: healthinfo [at] 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 ordered quarantine by the Bremen Public Health Office caused by a positive test for COVID-19 or by direct contact with a positive-tested person 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 AOK 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.

Despite or perhaps even because of this challenging time, Jacobs University is looking forward to the ongoing academic year 2021/22.

Jacobs University continuously strives to optimize its teaching and research offerings by balancing the wish and need for individual academic offerings with the necessary health protection for all members of our community. This includes in particular all considerations regarding on site academic operations and online teaching.

In order to do so, the Jacobs University’s Academic Leadership Group has developed an internal action plan on gradual and specific adaptations of academic operations. This action plan is valid throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (academic year 2021/2022). It is based on the legal framework in Germany and in Bremen. The measures refer to different escalation levels, taking into account class sizes as well as pedagogic factors. The interventions outlined in this action plan are embedded in a broader set of university measures, which include a variety of protective measures, an internal tracing system, as well as support for the students affected.

Nevertheless, all our measures and initiatives have to comply with the regulations of the Federal Republic of Germany and of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.

FALL SEMESTER 2021

Depending on the number of infections and the legal situation in Bremen, the situation on campus is re-evaluated on a regular basis. All students will be informed of adaptations in the teaching mode as they are implemented, with possible shifts to hybrid teaching or online teaching in dependence on the course type.

For more updates on modes of teaching throughout the semester, please be sure to regularly check the Registrar Services Website and also please check out our coronavirus FAQ section.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are in place for entering Germany from a large number of countries. Moreover, individuals are obliged to self-isolate for a specific period. Details are available here.

FAQ provided by the Federal Ministry of Health regarding corona testing when travelling to Germany can be accessed here.

Please, find more information about entering Germany and the possibilities for a corona test in our general Jacobs University coronavirus FAQ section.

Our overriding principle is to protect the health and safety of our employees and our students – who not only learn, and research here, but also live on campus.

Given this, Jacobs University has all intentions of continuing to keep the residential colleges open during the 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 the operations in this domain, and is equipped to cater to students that need to be quarantined in their rooms on campus.   

3G Rule and how it applies to the learning environment at Jacobs University

In order to assure framework conditions for in-presence teaching that ensure the health and wellbeing of students and staff on campus, the Germany wide established “3G Rule” (in German: geimpft, genesen, getestet – hence, 3G) will form the common basis for learning, teaching, working and living on campus. All members of the Jacobs Community must either be vaccinated, recovered or tested to participate in in-person events (this includes lectures, laboratory sessions, workshops, and any other indoor gatherings) on campus. Any violation of the 3G Rule will lead to serious consequences. To enter any public space on campus for an event– this applies to academic and non-academic events – you need to have either proof of full vaccination, a physician's certification of a COVID-19 recovery, or official proof of negative testing from a regular testing center. Please note that self-tests are not accepted as proof.

How the 3G Rule applies to entering the university campus

As part of nationwide regulations to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacobs University is obliged by law to control who accesses campus with immediate effect. Only those who are vaccinated, recovered or tested are allowed to enter the Jacobs University premises.

Please note that all entrance points to our campus except the main entrance will be closed until further notice. When entering the campus through the main gate, you have to show your 3G proof (vaccinated, recovered, tested) to the porters. If you are not vaccinated or recovered, you have to show an official COVID-19 test certificate. Normal test certificates from a test center are valid for 24 hours, PCR test certificates for 48 hours, self-tests are not accepted as proof. Employees who do not provide proof will be released from work without pay.

To avoid long lines, we ask everyone to park their cars outside of campus and come to the porter’s office by foot. Once you have the permission to enter, you are allowed to get your car and park it on campus, if you wish.
We are currently working on a system to simplify the check-in process. In the meantime, we ask that you always carry 3G proof, as extraordinary checks may occur.

We know that the new 3G-control might hold some stumbling blocks in store. Please plan-in for some extra time when coming to campus to avoid running late.

Jacobs University`s Academic Leadership Group has developed special “Guidelines for Teaching” for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find further information in the Jacobs University Academic Polices page, as well as the General Coronavirus FAQ page.

The safety of all students and employees is very important to us. This also applies to a safe usage of on-campus premises such as offices, seminar and lecture halls as well as storages, recreation and multipurpose rooms.  All of the above-mentioned facilities have been therefore inspected by experts from SVG (Straßenverkehrs-Genossenschaft Bremen eG) with regard to their occupational safety in accordance with the current Corona regulations of the Federal Government and the State of Bremen.

As an international university, members of Jacobs University’s community not only have their roots all over the world – our community members typically also travel a lot.

Jacobs University has canceled all university-related trips to countries severely affected by the coronavirus. This regulation applies to all risk areas identified by the Robert Koch Institute.

Regarding private journeys, we kindly ask all members of Jacobs Community – students, their parents, staff, faculty – to take into account that we are dealing with a global pandemic affecting an increasing number of countries worldwide, including Germany, but also many of our students’ home countries. This may impact international air travel and restrict movement through border closures in unforeseen ways. In addition, travel itself may entail a heightened risk. With regard to travel guidelines or regulations, please visit the website of the World Health Organization (WHO), the continuously updated list of risk areas by the German Robert Koch Institute (German speaking), the respective travel information of your home country (such as the “Foreign Office” in case of German citizens) or the information of the respective airlines.

In the event of any COVID-19 cases on campus, we have taken measures to ensure that housing and catering facilities are maintained open as far as possible.

Below, you can find a selection of hotlines that provide information about COVID-19 throughout Germany:

• Independent patient consultation Germany - 0800 011 77 22
• “Citizens' Telephone” by the Federal Ministry of Health - ++49 30 346 465 100
• Consultation service for deaf and hearing-impaired people - Fax: ++49 30 / 340 60 66-07, Mail: info.deaf [at] bmg.bund(dot)de / info.gehoerlos [at] bmg.bund(dot)de
• Sign phone (video telephony) - https://www.gebaerdentelefon.de/bmg

For general questions with regard to the COVID-19, you can reach us at corona [at] jacobs-university.de.

This page will be updated in case of any relevant changes in the risk situation and of any measures introduced by the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Bremen or Jacobs University.
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.