Hygiene Measures

Hygiene measures will be followed below for participants’ health and smooth operations of the IPDET 2024 On-Site program.

1. Duty to Inform

Participants and instructors are to be informed about the valid protection concept of IPDET for the On-Site program, the rules of conduct and hygiene before and during the program.

2. COVID Vaccination Certificate obligation

For the IPDET-Program there is no obligation to provide a certificate proving the vaccination status of the individual participant.

3. Hygiene

a. At the University of Bern, wearing masks indoors is voluntary. Instructors do not have to wear masks during their course. Hygiene masks are regarded as medical products and carry the CE mark.

b. The IPDET Facility Management Office will provide hand sanitizers and sufficient waste bins. The Facility Management Office is responsible for the regular cleaning of surfaces, bannisters, vending machines, restroom infrastructure and washbasins in the rooms and facilities of the program venue.

c. The teaching rooms must be ventilated regularly (every 30-45 minutes) and extensively.

d. Catering will be offered by the University`s official catering provider. The regulations and protection concepts of the catering provider apply. Refreshments during breaks will be offered in the in the lobby of UniS-building.

e. Everybody is obliged to follow the hygiene rules: wash or sanitize your hands properly (Wet your hands, apply soap, and rub them together until you get a lather. Rinse thoroughly with running water and dry with a clean towel, if possible, a disposable paper towel or a cloth roller towel. If it is not possible to wash your hands, hand sanitizers are a good alternative for rendering viruses harmless. They are particularly useful when you’re out and about, for example, on the bus or train, or when shopping).

Avoid shaking hands (Depending on what you have just touched, your hands are not clean. Infectious droplets can get onto your hands. They can then infect you if you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.). Meet outside rather than inside where possible.

Cough and sneeze into a paper tissue or the crook of your arm (You can spread viruses by blowing your nose, sneezing, spitting and coughing, so please follow the social distancing rules to reduce or avoid the risk of transmission can all spread viruses if you don’t follow the rules.).

If you experience symptoms, stay in your student’s lodge or hotel room until you are without symptoms.

Participants are required to have their insurance coverage while in Switzerland. For information on medical insurance, please check here.

4. Measures to exclude persons who show symptoms and/or who are infected (quarantine and isolation)

a. Persons who show COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with infected persons are excluded from the face-to-face courses immediately.

b. Persons who show COVID-19 symptoms must have a PCR test immediately and must stay in their student’s lodge room or hotel room until the PCR result is valid. If you receive a positive test result, self-isolate immediately and avoid all contact with other people. You can come out of isolation if at least five days have passed and you have had no more symptoms for the last 48 hours. An exception applies if the only symptoms you have are continued loss of sense of smell or taste or a slight cough. These symptoms can take longer to fully disappear. This means you can come out of isolation if you have these symptoms alone.

c. Participants should ensure their medical insurance also covers accommodation costs in case of necessary quarantine.

5. Tracking participants

Attendance lists must be kept for all courses. These will be destroyed one month after the course has taken place. Participants, instructors, and facilitators must inform the IPDET office about a COVID-19 illness within the first ten days after departure from Bern.