Edge Hill’s Deputy Vice Chancellor has moved to reassure worried parents that the campus is taking extra measures to halt the spread of the virus.
A number of pupils and a lecturer have been confirmed as Covid-19 positive.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Steve Igoe said: “We want to assure everyone in the local community that their health and wellbeing, as well as that of our students and staff, remains our number one priority. We are following all Government advice and working closely with Public Health officials in the region to maintain a Covid-secure environment, this includes our own Outbreak Management Plan approved by partners to control and prevent the spread of the virus.
“As of 15th October 2020 we reported 12 daily Covid-19 cases, 11 students and 1 staff member. We are providing packages to support their health and wellbeing, including free food parcels and toiletries packages for those students living on campus who need them.
“The University, working in conjunction with Universities UK, has also been successful in attracting a local testing centre to the campus which will be available through the NHS booking service for both community and University use. This started operating fully this week and has a daily testing capacity of 648 slots. This will make testing much easier and convenient for the entire community and will help us manage more effectively the spread of the virus.
“To reduce the chances of infection, everyone has been asked to adhere to our Community Pledge which asks them to take personal responsibility for preventing the spread of the virus. The pledge includes a commitment to adhere to all public health guidance, maintain the highest hygiene standards, wear a face mask in all buildings and for students and staff to notify the university at the first sign of illness. You can find more about the pledge here ehu.ac.uk/pledge.
“The campus has undergone stringent measures to mitigate risks too, including: one-way systems with clear signage to maintain social distancing, restrictions on class sizes in suitably spaced rooms, hand sanitisers at building entrances, regular cleaning of touch points, toilets and frequently used areas and extensive risk assessments. With this wide range of robust measures in place we are playing our part in minimising risks to students, staff and the wider community. These measures have also been subject to external scrutiny by an independent Health and Safety specialist .
“We regularly review these safety measures and arrangements in line with evolving guidance in order to continue to provide the quality education our students expect while doing all we can to keep our University community as safe as possible.”
The reassurance message
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