Time limits for events and ban on catered events indoors
No event at ETH must last longer than 1 ¾ hours and drinks parties can only be held in catering facilities or outdoors.
Following the announcement that events are now in principle allowed again at ETH from 31 August onwards, the Permits Office has been flooded with requests. To allow as many events as possible to go ahead despite the space restrictions, the Crisis Team has decided to put a time limit on the duration of events.
Events limited to 1 ¾ hours
From now on, a permit will only be given to events that last no more than 1 ¾ hours. After the event, rooms must be ventilated for at least 15 minutes before they can be used for another event. This rule is in line with the general regulations for room usage, which also apply to meeting rooms. As before, a safety protocol must be submitted before a permit can be issued.
Ban on indoor drinks parties
When applying for a permit for an event, organisers have to comply with another new rule: until further notice, catered events are no longer permitted in publicly accessible areas such as foyers. This includes drinks parties, coffee breaks and finger buffets in the immediate areas outside the room where the event is being held.
“The coronavirus task force is well aware that this new rule may seem rather harsh,” comments Vice President Ueli Weidmann, coronavirus task force leader, “but it has become necessary following the obligation to wear facemasks indoors which ETH introduced on 24 August”. On top of that, these areas can become very crowded during term time especially, which makes it much more difficult to observe physical distancing rules. “To avoid disappointment, we decided that a universal ban on catered events was the best solution and the right message,” Weidmann says.
Permits will only be issued for drinks events or lunches in actual catering facilities, such as the faculty restaurant (Dozentenfoyer) or the Polysnack, or also outdoors. The specific safety protocols of the facility operators apply in each catering area. For a permit to be issued for outdoor events, the organiser’s safety protocol must be able to show that the minimum distance of 1.5 metres can be maintained.