Swansea University will be taking a number of steps in order to manage the safe return of students to Swansea while national levels of Covid-19 are high.
The University has been following Welsh Government advice for a staggered return to campus, which will mean that initially, the majority of students will be taught online, with only a small number returning for essential in-person teaching. Those studying health related programmes and a small number of other courses, primarily in the area of Science, should for now, be the only ones to return.
We currently plan for this arrangement to continue until mid-February, and will keep this under regular review. We still believe our campuses are as safe as we can make them, but given the very high level of Coronavirus in the national population at present, we feel it is sensible to further reduce the number of people returning to Swansea, to University and private accommodation in the city for the time being.
We know how frustrating this may be for some of our students, but ultimately we are taking the steps we feel are necessary to keep our staff, students and our local community as safe as we can.
The University will also be making Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) available again for students from next week and they have been issued guidance on how to book tests. Students who choose to return prior to testing being available are being advised to 'lay low' at their accommodation until LFT begins. Laying low is not the same as self-isolating but means not mixing with other people as much as possible and observing all other government safety rules.
The University will keep these steps under constant review and will communicate regularly with students, staff and the local community throughout.