12 March 2020 - ucisa20 covid19 updated
Coronavirus (Covid-19)
You will have seen or heard about coronavirus cases occurring in the UK, Europe and elsewhere in the world. The advice from Public Health England regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) has consequently changed. We have been monitoring the official advice closely and you will appreciate that the advice may change at short notice.
In relation to the virus, the safety and security of all attending conference is our top priority although, as the UK risk level of coronavirus is moderate, there is no restriction on events such as our conference taking place. We are following the advice of Public Health England and government agencies and our conference will proceed unless that advice changes.
We have been liaising closely with the conference venues, all of which currently remain fully open for business, with all events going ahead as planned.
Our main venue, Manchester Central, has installed signage in all toilets and digital screens across the venue advising staff and visitors on the importance of maintaining good hand and personal hygiene and added sanitising stations (bacterial gel) with dispensers are being made available around the venue to supplement the hand cleaning products in all toilet facilities. Their onsite first aid team have been fully briefed and have plans in place to deal with anyone reporting symptoms and believes they may have been in contact with the virus.
We will continue to monitor the advice from all relevant agencies and are particularly aware of the cobra meeting today and that the advice may change after this meeting. We will be contacting all attendees after any cobra announcement and in any event by 9.30 on Friday 13th March setting out the government advice in detail and asking any delegates who may be affected by it not to attend conference. We will also be setting out the advice from Public Health England as to personal hygiene and asking all attending to observe it.
We will also publish updated advice to all attendees should advice change.
If you have any questions or we can assist in any way, please email events@ucisa.ac.uk
