21 December 2020: Tier 4 restrictions updates for students

This message is ONLY for St George’s registered students. We are aware of an issue with the distribution list, meaning this and previous emails may be reaching some Kingston University registered students in the Joint Faculty unintentionally. We apologise for any confusion this caused.

We understand that the news of Tier 4 restrictions over the weekend came as a further knock at the end of a very challenging year. We send you our best wishes for the break ahead and hope it will offer you opportunities to rest and recharge.

We are committed to keeping you updated about developments and below are key points for you to be aware of:

• The University is continuing to operate as it has done throughout the autumn and we are not expecting the position to change in January. We expect any face-to-face education activities to go ahead as planned. Control measures following government guidelines have been put in place to ensure that our site is Covid-secure (see further information here). 

• The Library remains open until 11pm on Tuesday 22 December and will re-open at 8am on Monday 4 January.

• The Minister of State for Universities last night clarified that the introduction of Tier 4 restrictions do not result in any change for students travelling home for Christmas. Any student travelling to a different address for the break can do so once during the period between 3 December 2020 and 7 February 2021. Students will form part of the household they return to and will not count as a separate household. This remains the case for those who may be preparing to travel from or to a Tier 4 area. Students are encouraged to have a coronavirus test before travelling (further information about testing facilities open during the break is below).

• If you are planning to travel to somewhere outside the United Kingdom, you should check whether your destination country has any restrictions in place that may affect your plans.

• We are keen to support all students who are staying in term-time accommodation over the festive period. The Horton Halls team are in touch with residents. If you will be alone over the break and are not staying in Horton Halls,  please contact Jane Saffell (jsaffell@sgul.ac.uk) as soon as possible today. We may run a couple of Random Chat sessions during the break if there is demand.  

• As stated in Student Briefing on Friday, the University’s testing centre is now closed but the local council’s testing facilities are being offered to postgraduate research students and students on clinical placements to 4 January. The testing sites are available at:

Civic Suite Wandsworth High Street London SW18 2PU
OR
Clarendon Hall York House Richmond Road Twickenham TW1 3AA 

To book an appointment, please use one of the following links: either Book a lateral flow test - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames or Book a lateral flow test - Wandsworth Borough Council. If you do not have access to the internet, call: 020 8871 6555. Please use the university postcode SW17 0RE to book your slots. This will help us to identify you as a priority resident.

• You are strongly encouraged to undertake coronavirus testing on your return to the St George’s site after the break since anyone without symptoms, but who carries the virus, could unknowingly spread it to many others. By getting tested you will be helping to break the chain of transmission, protecting those you live with and other members of our community. Advice on the dates when you should book your tests, to best fit with your educational commitments, has been shared by your course teams. Book your test here. Further reminders will follow in January.