“We have to remain vigilant”

Internal news: Mr Weidmann, on 19 June the Federal Council decided to relax their coronavirus restrictions further, including reducing the physical distancing rule from 2 metres to 1.5 metres. How does the Federal Council’s decision impact the rules that apply at ETH?
Ueli Weidmann: First of all, while we’re happy about the current situation, we still regard it as highly unstable. We need to continue doing everything possible to prevent outbreaks from occurring at ETH Zurich. An outbreak would jeopardise the upcoming session examinations, which would be a disaster for us. Regarding physical distancing rules, we’ve always adopted what the Federal Council recommends. So the 1.5-metre rule now also applies at ETH. However, we still recommend keeping 2 metres distance wherever possible to minimise the risks. The government hasn’t made any new statements regarding the capacity of workspaces and meeting rooms. So the same rule as before still applies: for workspaces, 10 square metres per person, and for meeting rooms, 4 square metres. And don't forget the physical distancing rule!

Are people at ETH following this rule?
The ETH community is incredibly disciplined – both students and staff, whether it’s about entering a building or waiting in line at the cafeteria. A big compliment and thank you to everyone! But once groups start standing next to each other, physical distance can begin to decrease. Sometimes you can observe a certain carelessness, which we often see outside of ETH. So that's why this is my battle cry at the moment: we have to remain vigilant, even if we are lucky to have such low rates of infection here in Switzerland.

But with that said, the Federal Council has also loosened other restrictions, for instance regarding events...
At ETH we’re going to stay on the safe side. Scientists from the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force have called for more caution regarding the latest measures. We take this statement very seriously. We are in close contact with our colleagues serving on the national task force, for example regarding the question of what a second wave might look like and how ETH should prepare itself.

But what does this mean for easing restrictions at ETH?
The rules that went into effect on 8 June will remain in place until 2 August. These rules have proven to work well. They allow for a wide range of activities, people can understand them, and they also take safety into account. The reservation system for student workplaces is working well. People are using the workplaces, but they have not yet been booked out completely. Based on feedback from students, we will be making the system more flexible in order to ensure that the workplaces are at full capacity. For example, we’ll be offering the opportunity to make bookings on a daily basis and applying capacity optimisation measures. The Zurich Academic Sports Association (ASVZ) is working on developing special distancing rules so that they can reopen the locker rooms.

What are the next steps in August?
August will be shaped primarily by exam season. We’re working together with Academic Services to see what we need to put in place to ensure that exams can go forward. If necessary, we’ll open up more buildings in order to ensure that exams can be held while also adhering to safety precautions. The provisions in the Rector's Downloaddirectivevertical_align_bottom govern how exams will be carried out.

Working from home is an emotional issue. Where does ETH Zurich currently stand on this?
As a basic principle, everyone who works from home is reducing the risk of spreading infection at ETH Zurich. Don't forget that people with the virus are contagious several days before they start showing symptoms. This is why we’re continuing to strongly recommend that people keep working from home through July, as long as it’s possible from an operational perspective and reasonable from a personal perspective. With the dates for in-person exams approaching, we really want to avoid having the buildings fill up with people. If the situation permits, then starting in August, it should be possible for ETH staff to work partially on site again in a coordinated fashion. Our goal is generally for people to be able to return to the workplace, of course while sticking to the protective measures that are already in place.

And what’s the situation with events?
Events are forbidden at ETH until the end of August. Starting in September we can start considering holding events again, with priority being given to events on the academic calendar – meaning inaugural, farewell and introductory lectures. The Autumn Semester will begin in September, partially with classroom teaching, which means that life will come back to campus again. Some rooms will be occupied with classes until 8 p.m. and will not be available for booking. Additionally, there are limitations on space that preclude holding large events. We expect that much less than half of the room capacity can feasibly be used.

What conditions would have to be met to make holding an event possible?
Hygiene and distancing rules need to be observed, and contact tracing would also be necessary. Guests would have to register. Holding receptions in semi-public rooms, for example in front of the Audi Max, won’t be possible. Also, event organisers will have to deal with the possibility that their event could get cancelled at any time. They would then have to cover the costs themselves.

Isn’t this rule somewhat strict? After all, it’s now allowed to hold outdoor events with up to 1,000 people.
We are aware that for many people, events are important opportunity to interact with others in the ETH community. Personally, I also find it regrettable that we can’t be more open here. But our highest priority is pushing ahead with the Autumn Semester with as much classroom teaching as possible and preventing another general lockdown at ETH. Also, the facilities at ETH are just not good for safely holding large events in the corona era. It's not only room capacity that’s limited – it's also about entrances and break areas.

All of this implies a second wave. What will happen if members of the ETH community become infected with the coronavirus?
We’re currently working on a master plan for a possible second wave. The main point is that we want to do everything in our power to prevent another ETH-wide lockdown. If a second wave hits Switzerland, we would limit in-person presence at ETH Zurich to small manageable groups. This would limit the spread of the virus and help us keep track of who has been in close contact with an infected person. Only these people would then be subject to the cantonal doctor’s 10-day home quarantine rule. Contact tracing will also play a big part in determining who could have potentially been infected. We believe that large portions of the ETH community will make use of the SwissCovid app, particularly since we are a technical and scientific university. When it comes to teaching, we currently have similar considerations regarding how we could split students into groups. If this concept works, then we’d be able to make it through the second wave without having to totally shut down the university.

What role does testing play in your plan?
At the moment, everyone with mild symptoms can get tested. The Executive Board recommends that anyone with these symptoms should immediately call their general practitioner or the doctors’ hotline in order to arrange a test. It seems that in the future, everyone who receives a notification from the SwissCovid app about being near an infected person can also get tested. The tests are conducted at places like the Travel Clinic and work well. Even though every test is just a snapshot of that particular moment, they can still support other measures to contain the virus. The government has decided that it will cover all coronavirus testing costs from 25 June on, provided the test has been ordered by a doctor.

Let’s assume that the infection rate in Switzerland remains low and that contact tracing works. Could we then expect more restrictions to be relaxed at ETH?
We’re observing how the pandemic is developing in Switzerland and abroad and will of course react accordingly if the situation changes significantly. On an ETH level, our COVID-19 task force is in close dialogue with the central administrative functions, the different departments, the student body and the ASVZ. We take people's needs on board and try to come up with pragmatic solutions wherever possible. Ensuring that research and teaching can be carried out safely is always our number one priority, along with ensuring that ETH can continue to provide services to society at large.