Announcement on Covid-19 Preventative Measures

Dear Students,

Updated on May 13, 2022
March 29, 2022
Waseda University

As part of the Covid-19 preventative measures, we are notifying you of important information and precautions to take when entering the campus and using campus classrooms.

As you may already know, many Covid-19 variants have been identified to this date. It has also been confirmed that people who are fully vaccinated still possess risks of contracting and transmitting the coronavirus. As such, we would like to urge all students, regardless of your vaccination status, to act vigilantly and responsibly to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

1. Precautions for Entering the Campus

（１）Do not come to campus if you any of the following applies to you:

1. You have become infected with Covid-19. (Contact the university through your affiliated school’s administrative office.)
2. You suspect that you have become infected with Covid-19, presenting symptoms such as a fever or coughing (If so, please receive diagnosis at a medical facility.)
3. A person you live with has become infected (e.g., a roommate in your dormitory or place of residence)
4. You have been deemed as someone who has come in close contact with a Covid-19 infected individual (e.g., contacted by a medical facility)
5. The University has instructed you to stay at home (If there is a concern of an outbreak due to a cluster in club activities, etc., the University may ask you to stay home. In this case, please follow the instructions of the University.)

（２）Please wear a non-woven disposable face mask (不織布マスク) when you come to the campus and make sure to keep it on at all times (except when you are eating, doing exercise, or if you experience hypersensitivity, etc., when wearing a mask). The University has made an announcement for the mandatory wearing of non-woven disposable face masks, which are highly effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. However, as the risk of heat exhaustion/stroke increases when the temperature and humidity is high, the University permits the removing of masks if you are outdoors and there is sufficient distance between yourself and others. For more information, refer to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Tackle Heatstroke and the Novel COVID-19 With New Lifestyle Habits the Safe Way!”:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/kenkou/nettyuu/nettyuu_taisaku/pdf/seikatuyousiki/seikatuyousiki202106_en.pdf

（３）Manage your health and well-being, avoid the 3Cs (closed spaces with poor ventilation; crowded places; and close-contact settings), and take other Covid-19 preventative measures. For more information, refer to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “11 things you need to know NOW about COVID-19”: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/mar2022.pdf

（４）Avoid unnecessary and nonurgent stays on campus. Leave campus immediately once you are finished with class, etc.

（５）Avoid creating crowds anywhere on campus.

（６）If you are at high risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19 infection due to reasons such as chronic health conditions, please consult the Health Support Center.

2.  Precautions for Eating

When eating, wash your hands thoroughly, avoid the 3Cs, maintain physical distance, and avoid having conversations, regardless of being on or off campus. Do not leave your mask directly on the table when you remove it to eat as well. Please practice the new rules of Covid-19 etiquette, such throwing away your trash immediately.

As a precaution to reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19, please avoid eating or drinking at common spaces (e.g., student lounges) without partitions as much as possible. If multiple people are present, please eat in silence and avoid any verbal communication. Also, kindly take note that some common spaces prohibit eating and drinking.

In addition, comply with the preventative measures of restaurants, convenience stores, etc. on and off campus.

3. If you had Close Contact with an Infected Individual during School Activities

In the case that you come into contact with an infected individual during your university activities (e.g., classroom, research, or club activities), please adhere to the following instructions. (In the case of infections in club activities, please immediately report to the Student Affairs Section and follow their instructions.) Please be aware that information and precautions might need to be updated as the Covid-19 situation changes (eg. If a new Covid variant arises, etc.) The following information is based on the Omicron variant and information is up to date as of March 2022.

Definition of close contact:

You are considered a close contact if you had come in contact with an individual who has been confirmed to be infected, starting from 48 hours before the individual starts to show symptoms, and at least one of the following events had occurred between you and the infected individual:

1. You talked while eating together without wearing masks.
2. You took care of the infected individual without taking proper precautions.
3. There was a high chance that you were in contact with the spray of an infected individual (e.g., a sneeze, cough, saliva, etc.)
4. You had a conversation with the infected individual for more than 15 minutes in a distance of less than one meter, without wearing a mask.

If any of the above applies to you, we ask that you do the following for the next 7 days:

1.  Monitor your health and record your temperature daily. If you start showing any Covid-19 symptoms, please contact a medical facility to receive testing as soon as possible.
2.  Refrain from going outside (stay at home).

4. Preventative Measures in Classroom

• In classrooms when class is in session, follow instructions from faculty, avoid the 3Cs, and maintain physical distance. Considering the Covid-19 situation, the University is adjusting the number of students who can enroll in a class depending on the classroom size.
• Hand sanitizers will be available in classrooms as well as high traffic areas etc. of every facility. When entering the classroom or building, etc., please sanitize your hands.
• As for classrooms and facilities, the door knobs, furniture, etc. are disinfected once a day. When using the audiovisual devices in a classroom or a computer in a PC room, use the disinfectant spray and paper towels available to disinfect the devices as needed.
• Refrain from talking unless you are asked to speak.
• Be assured that classrooms meet the ventilation standards set by determined by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to be sufficient for Covid-19 infection prevention (a volume of 30㎥/h per person).
• You may eat in a classroom only during lunch break, but please refrain from speaking to one another while eating as a preventative measure.

５. Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots (3rd dose) at the University

University-based Covid-19 vaccine booster shots (3rd dose) will be available from Monday, April 11, 2022. Individuals who have completed two Covid-19 vaccination doses and can bring their Covid-19 booster shot (3^rd dose) vaccination voucher on the day of vaccination are eligible. For more details, please refer to the Waseda University Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Vaccination Web Site: https://wnpspt.waseda.jp/student/covid19-vaccine-en/

Note: Individuals who have not completed their 2^nd vaccination dose, were vaccinated outside of Japan, or cannot bring their Covid-19 booster shot (3^rd dose) vaccination voucher, cannot receive their 3^rd vaccination dose at the University. Please consult with your municipality if this applies to you.

６.PCR Testing

The University will provide information related to free PCR testing services offered by the Japanese government or your local municipality that you may be able to use.

７. Other Items (e.g., related documents, links, etc.)

• To avoid the 3Cs, priority to elevator access should be given to those with limited mobility, pregnant women, and those with a lot of luggage. Use the escalators or the stairs as much as possible.
• If a facility on campus, such as libraries or the Student Center, has specific policies regarding its access, follow the rules set by the respective facility to prevent Covid-19 infection from spreading.
• Depending on the building, the time you entered and left the building will be recorded with a card reader, a sign-in sheet, etc.
• When taking online classes on campus, please avoid using lounges or other common spaces. Instead, take your classes in the classrooms specially designated for students taking online classes. For more information on precautions and things to note when using these classrooms, please access the link below.
  Note: Please wear a non-woven disposable face mask when using spaces such as W Space or lounge areas for group work.
  URL: https://waseda.app.box.com/s/hz7ci4a3lt3rv2l6jydei357x3vr45xq