Rector's address and revised coronavirus guidelines

View the video address of Rector Toomas Asser focusing on coronavirus prevention at the university on UTTV and read revised coronavirus guidelines at the university.

This week the Government of Estonia announced new coronavirus measures and based on the government’s recommendations, members of the UT Rector’s Office have laid down the following guidelines.

• The university’s priority is to continue face-to-face studies and especially practical classes and seminars.
• In block mode studies, we prefer distance learning until the end of the autumn semester.
• We ask all participants in face-to-face classes to wear face masks. Everyone is responsible for ensuring they have a face mask to wear.
• We recommend avoiding unnecessary contacts and crowded gatherings both during and outside working hours, for example meetings with numerous participants, including people from other units, as well as gatherings in the corridors of the academic buildings.
• It is important to keep your contact information updated because in cooperation with the Health Board, the university informs its members of possible close contacts with infected persons by phone and email.

Below, we repeat the most important recommendations and advice on how to take care of each other in the context of the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus prevention

• In the work and study environment it is necessary to maintain distance with other people and comply with hygiene rules to reduce the likelihood of the spread of the virus.
• Stay home even with mild symptoms of a viral disease.
• If possible, avoid public transport.
• We recommend avoiding parties and large gatherings.
• The HOIA mobile app hoia.me allows rapid notification of a possible close contact with a coronavirus carrier and is safe to use.

Organisation of studies

• The university’s priority is to continue face-to-face studies and especially practical classes and seminars. Be prepared to use more IT resources in studies. As the infection rate rises, we must be ready for the increase in e-learning.
• When studies are reorganised, the lecturer informs all students registered for the course and updates the information in the SIS accordingly.
• If there are more than 30 people attending a lecture, they should be seated farther apart in the lecture hall so that the room is up to half full.
• In case students cannot participate in classroom studies due to illness, the requirements for completing the course must be explained and communicated to them.

Read the university’s recommendations and advice for coronavirus prevention: www.ut.ee/en/corona
National coronavirus helpline: 1247 (+372 600 1247 for calls from abroad)
National website on COVID-19: www.kriis.ee/en
Health Board’s website: www.terviseamet.ee/en