Current coronavirus master plan only valid up to 5 September

Ulrich Weidmann: Last week the Federal Council decided not to ease restrictions any further due to the uncertain epidemiological situation – and I must say I’m glad they made that decision. As you know, our exam session is in full swing at the moment, so it would have been very tricky to make any changes during this extremely important phase of the academic year. So the current master plan will still be valid until 5 September, with the new plan scheduled to come into force on 6 September 2021.

The Federal Council has appealed to people’s sense of individual responsibility and urged them to get vaccinated. It has also hinted at the prospect of further easing of the lockdown. Will ETH follow this lead?
Individual responsibility has always been extremely important at ETH Zurich and is widely observed by both staff and students. The Executive Board encouraged people to get vaccinated early on, and continues to do so. A jab is not only the best way of protecting our own health, but is also a measure of solidarity to keep the pandemic in check – which is almost more important. With this policy, the Executive Board is meeting its duty of care towards all ETH members.

Is that the reason why the Board’s policy has in some cases been stricter than the measures recommended by the authorities?
One of the reasons. We have always been guided by the recommendations of the COVID-​19 Science Task Force. Our top priority is to ensure that ETH is able to perform all its core mandates. Apart from research, these include teaching – an area where all the parties involved have made enormous efforts. The restrictions, which have demanded major sacrifices from students in some cases, have been unavoidable to date but have helped us get through the pandemic relatively unscathed so far.

So what should we expect on the 6th of September?
The current situation is riddled with contradictions: on the one hand, the number of cases is starting to creep up again, which is worrying. On the other hand, the incidence of hospitalisation and serious cases has stayed relatively low until a few weeks ago, and the protection provided by vaccination actually seems to be very high. Even so, we need to wait for the Federal Council’s decision at the start of September, which will also take into consideration the recent spike in hospitalisations. At present, for example, the government still advises people to work from home if possible. If this guidance is dropped, we will encourage our staff to return to the workplace. Getting used to working on campus again is a challenge that should not be underestimated and we will have to ‘feel our way’ into this process – but hopefully it won’t last too long.

What are you thinking of, specifically?
Once lecture halls and offices fill up again at ETH, the question of whether to wear a face mask – in meetings, for example – acquires a new dimension. Although we are assuming that the majority of staff and students should have been vaccinated by now, we can’t be certain. On top of that, the vaccine does not provide total protection against infection, and people already vaccinated can still transmit the virus to others. And we mustn’t forget that there are some people who cannot or do not wish to be vaccinated. We all need to work together to find reasonable solutions – we cannot rely on regulations alone.

What other topics are you grappling with as September approaches?
Events is one of the biggest, especially since everyone in the Task Force knows how important they are to ETH members. They provide an opportunity to share ideas and opinions that are part of ETH’s success story. And they are also important for our university’s sense of community. At the same time, the risk of infection is particularly high with certain events, such as drinks receptions. Here we need to find an acceptable compromise, especially since one thing we want to avoid at all costs is to jeopardise face-to-face teaching in the Autumn Semester. Even so, we hope that things will be a little more relaxed from September onwards.

You mentioned rising infection rates. One reason seems to be more trips abroad. Is ETH likely to introduce new measures here?
The high number of infected people returning from abroad is certainly very worrying. I advise all ETH members to work or study at home for 10 days after returning from abroad, wherever possible. Anyone who does come onto campus should wear a face mask to protect others. But it is also important to follow government guidance and get tested for Covid after five days, even if you have been vaccinated. We will certainly include this guidance in the new version of the master plan. Whether we need to introduce additional measures will depend on how the pandemic develops over the coming weeks. The general rule is: everyone should still take care – both on and off campus – even if they have already been vaccinated.