Coronavirus: Q&A for Staff
This Q&A is to update UNNC staff on our back-to-work plan and to answer some of the questions we have received from staff via Staff2020@Nottingham.edu.cn
Please note we will update this document every second day.
Updated on 7 Feb
Coronavirus: Q&A for Staff
Returning to Ningbo and UNNC
Q: I am currently outside China. Since government advises not to travel, can I work remotely and carry on online teaching when the new semester starts?
A: Yes, we have just released a guide to flexible working for UNNC academic staff on Sharepoint. (Please check your email and find the sharepoint link.)
Please also contact your line manager and be prepared to deliver online teaching as a contingency plan.
Q: Will we resume face to face teaching on 2 March?
A: Teaching will start on 2 March either on campus or online as contingency plans are being made to switch to online teaching. If we are teaching on campus, we will provide online teaching support for students unable to attend in person. We don't know if we can resume face to face teaching on 2 March. We are closely monitoring the situation and the health and safety of our staff and students remains our overriding priority. We will also comply with the requirements from the Chinese authorities regarding teaching on campus.
Q: Does the Chinese government have clear guidance on when to start the semester?
Zhejiang Education Department has required all schools and higher education institutions in the Province not to start the new semester before the end of February.
Q: Can Staff return to Ningbo?
A: Ningbo City has no constraints any people outside Ningbo from coming to Ningbo. As long as you are needed for work, staff can come to work in Ningbo.
Once the expats have settled into their residency, they must report to the community social workers and employers immediately according to the current domestic management requirements.
Expats/foreigners coming to Ningbo without any exposure in affected areas, after having their temperature checked by the community social workers, shall not be isolated for medical observation.
Organizations (eg, UNNC) with expats are responsible for employees’ disease control according to the latest requirements, as per – “Guidelines of epidemic prevention for enterprise return to work”)
Q: Will UNNC assist in arranging transportation back to UNNC?
A: UNNC will make best efforts to assist our staff in arranging transportation back to UNNC within our capacity under government regulations. You may contact Staff2020@nottingham.edu.cn to raise your individual enquiry and our HR colleagues can provide you with further advice.
Q: Will UNNC reimburse costs incurred associated with returning to UNNC?
A: UNNC will reimburse reasonable costs in excess of those expected/incurred when original return travel plans to UNNC were made.
Health and safety
Q: Should I submit to temperature checks where I live or elsewhere?
A: Temperature checks are being implemented in many locations across China, including residential compounds and workplaces, sometimes with no warning. Anyone whose temperature is above what is considered normal (37.3 degrees Celsius/99.14 degrees Fahrenheit) may be reported to the China Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and referred to a state-run fever clinic.
Q: If I fail a temperature check will I be forcibly quarantined; if this happens what support is available?
A: If your temperature is identified as being above the threshold for potential fever you are likely to be referred to a Chinese fever clinic. If this happens to you, please notify UNNC via:
Email: Staff2020@Nottingham.edu.cn
Telephone: 0574-88180120
Q: I or someone close to me is showing symptoms. What should I/they do?
A: In a medical emergency, or if someone is displaying severe symptoms such as breathing difficulties, call 120 and ask for an ambulance. This number can connect to an English-speaking service. If you or a family member are feeling unwell, particularly with symptoms associated with novel coronavirus such as fever or dry cough, immediately contact UNNC clinic via 0574-88180120 and get advice for going to the nearest designated medical facility.
Q: Does MSH Health Insurance cover the cost of treating the health conditions caused by Corona Virus?
A: Yes
Q: What are the current recommendations regarding self-quarantine?
A: Self-quarantine means limiting non-essential personal movement outside your home (getting groceries or medical supplies, or seeking necessary medical treatment) and personal contact with others beyond people you live with. If you or someone close to you has been in direct contact with an infected person or someone with flu-like symptoms, or has returned from any province, should exercise caution and self-quarantine at home for 14 days. If you are returning from Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, you should self-quarantine for 7 days.
Leaving China
Q: I want to leave China. Can you give me some advice?
A: The situation is changing rapidly and it is the responsibility of those wishing to self-evacuate to ensure they have made appropriate arrangements with airlines. Check reservations on a regular basis and plan for unanticipated delays at airports/in transit. Those with travel insurance should verify coverage regarding emergency situations prior to travel.
Q: Does UNNC staff travel insurance cover the cost of leaving China due to the Coronavirus?
A: No, however if evacuation is mandated any costs incurred, as part of this process, by staff members and dependents, will be reimbursed by UNNC.
Q: If I self-evacuate, will I be placed in quarantine on arrival in my destination country?
A: This is dependent on individual countries’ regulations and practice.
In the UK the answer is currently “No you won’t be quarantined”. People arriving from Wuhan and Hubei Province to the UK in the last 14 days should stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu, and call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area. This applies even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.
The UK is not taking special measures regarding arrivals of any nationality from China beyond standard entry procedures. However, if you believe you may have been exposed to coronavirus or been in contact with another person exhibiting flu-like symptoms, you may wish to take precautions and self-quarantine for a minimum 7 days, also informing anyone you might be living with of your concerns.
Q: I wish to self-evacuate from China but I/a loved one does not have a passport/visa. Can I still leave the country?
A: Individuals who currently lack essential documentation should contact the relevant Country’s Consular Services and make officials aware of your situation.
Q: I am renewing my Chinese visa/residency permit. How can I retrieve my passport from the PSB in order to evacuate?
A: China’s visas and immigration services resumed normal operations from Monday 3rd February and the latest information is that processing will continue even if normal working hours are affected by crisis control measures. Please note that processing times may be affected.
Q: I’m a Non-Chinese national outside China and wish to return to China. Can I?
A: Current UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office guidance is to avoid all non-essential travel to China, and all travel to Wuhan and Hubei Province, until further notice. There is no official definition of ‘non-essential travel’, it is up to the individual to make their own decisions based on currently available information.
Most nations will have similar/equivalent advice for their nationals – staff should follow the advice appropriate to their nationality.
Living in Ningbo
Q: Are masks available to buy in Ningbo?
A: They are currently in short supply, so returning staff should attempt to purchase masks prior to retuning. Registration for accessing masks has now begun in residential communities in Ningbo however numbers are rationed to 3-5 masks per individual. In case you do not have masks, you can email your request to unnc.clinic@nottingham.edu.cn and clinic staff will respond to your enquiry by providing guidance of where to get masks.
Q: Are food shops and supermarkets open and accessible in Ningbo?
A: Yes, many local stores are open like Vanguard, Metro and Walmart.
Q: Can I leave my residential community to travel to work at UNNC?
A: There are restrictions. You need to obtain approval from your head of department two days in advance so that UNNC Provost Office can issue an official document for you to travel to work. Please also take your Staff ID Card and your identity document (Chinese ID Card or Passport) which will be required to show to the security guard.
Q: What road travel restrictions are there relating to entering and exiting Ningbo?
A: The situation is changing on daily basis. As confirmed with the Ningbo Public Security Bureau on 6 Feb 2020, there is no restrictions for exiting Ningbo, while for external private vehicles to enter Ningbo, the Police will have a thorough check against each passenger before they release the entry permit.
Q: As a Building 23/28 resident how do I communicate with LAC and are all normally available services being maintained?
A: Staff and students on campus can send mails to lac@nottingham.edu.cn. LAC has delegated an English speaking staff member to respond emails timely. The telephone number is 88180809.
Campus security 校园安保热线/邮箱：
0574 88180111 (ext.分机号 1111)
security@nottingham.edu.cn
Campus clinic 校园诊所热线/邮箱：
0574 88180120 (ext.分机号 8120) or 15168185997 (for emergency only 紧急情况下)
UNNC.Clinic@nottingham.edu.cn
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