Coronavirus - Current situation
On this website you will find the latest information from the University of Bern on how to deal with the corona epidemic.
- Returning to the workplace is generally permitted. However, until further notice, where possible and reasonable and in consultation with superiors, work should continue to be done in the home office.
- Wearing masks is mandatory indoors.
- Masks do not have to be worn at the workplace if a distance of 1.50 meters is maintained.
- Meetings can again be conducted physically. In this case, the distance regulations apply (protection concept of the university).
- Regular testing is basically no longer required. Levels 2 and 3 of the testing strategy are currently out of force.
- The obligation to wear masks outdoors on campus is suspended.
- Information on the fall 2021 semester and exams can be found here.
The top priority continues to be protecting everyone's health. Currently, the following regulations and recommendations apply:
- Where possible and reasonable, continue to work from home in consultation with superiors.
- In case of symptoms of illness, stay at home and avoid contact with others (self-isolation).
- A general obligation to wear masks continues to apply in buildings. Masks do not have to be worn at the workplace if a distance of 1.50 meters is maintained.
- Meetings can again be held physically.
- In principle, in-person meetings can be held without a restricted amount of people without regular testing. Levels 2 and 3 of the testing strategy are currently suspended.
- In-person courses and continuing education can take place as long as the measures specified in the protection Concept Continuing Education (PDF, 187KB) are adhered to. It is possible that individual modules or parts thereof be conducted digitally.
- Most of the libraries are open. You can find more information here.
- In university sports, the wearing of a mask can be waived during sports activities (outdoor and indoor). In indoor areas (incl. checkrooms), the wearing of a mask is still mandatory until the place of sports practice. To ensure contact tracing, online registration is required for all directed university sports. You can find all information about Unisport here (in German).
- Events with external participation which are not teaching or continuing education are also possible again, in principle. At these events, a valid COVID certificate is required for participation. Reservations must be made through the auditorium administrator. For groups of 30 or more, an additional permit from the General Secretariat is required.
The university's crisis management team recommends:
- Vaccination against Sars-CoV-2: be.vacme.ch
- Installing the official Swiss-COVID app
All other measures, especially the social distancing rules and hygiene recommendations, remain in place and apply until further notice. The website is regularly being updated. In the event of contradictory statements, the latest information applies.
Procedure for those who show symptoms of disease
If symptoms of illness occur, stay at home and avoid contact with other people (self-isolation).
Inform your doctor. Your doctor will decide whether a test is appropriate.
If you are tested and the result is positive, you must continue to isolate yourself. The competent cantonal authority will contact you and discuss all further steps. The cantonal authority will also inform you when the isolation can end.
If the test result is negative, you can leave isolation 24 hours after the last symptoms of the disease have subsided.
Points of contact
The university’s in-house physician is the first point of contact for lecturers and employees with medical questions related to Covid-19 – in particular for questions regarding the handling of people who have tested positive. He can be contacted by telephone at +41 31 684 42 98 and by e-mail at betriebsarzt@unibe.ch.
For UniBE-specific questions: Risk Management Unit as coordinating office, E-Mail
Public Events and Infrastructure
The university buildings are basically open.
Events with external participation which are not teaching or continuing education are also possible again, in principle. At these events, a valid COVID certificate is required for participation. Reservations must be made through the auditorium administrator. For groups of 30 or more, an additional permit from the General Secretariat is required.
In-person courses in continuing education are possible, provided that the measures specified in the Protection Concept Continuing Education (PDF, 187KB) can be adhered to. However, some courses may be held online or modules or parts of modules may be postponed.
Most of the libraries are open. You can find more information here.
At Unisport, masks are no longer required for outdoor sport activities. For all supervised events (incl. training slots in the fitness room ZSSw) an online registration is necessary. You can find all information for Unisport here (in German).
Current Information
The situation may change continuously. The most up-to-date information for Switzerland can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Public Health.
For further questions about the coronavirus: Infoline FOPH: +41 58 463 00 00
Business and private trips
The Federal Council has decided to ease restrictions for entry into Switzerland. For entry from the Schengen area, the quarantine requirement will be lifted. Vaccinated and recovered persons entering from a country or area where variants of the virus are circulating can enter without testing and quarantine as long as it is certain that the vaccination provides good protection. Those who are neither vaccinated nor recovered must present a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test and enter quarantine after entry. You can find further information on this here.
Responsibilities and directives
The crisis management unit and the University Executive Board are responsible for the drafting and enactment of university directives.
Organizational units (institutes, departments, divisions) are responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the University's directives. The responsibility lies directly with the managers of the respective organisational units.
In every situation, a substitute regulation must be established.
The following directives generally describe the minimum standards in principle. In case of doubt, whichever option that minimizes the risk of spreading the disease, based on local conditions, should be chosen.