For office jobs, working from home should be offered presumably until 19 March 2022 if there are no compelling official reasons to the contrary. Compelling reasons that require the employee to be present at the workplace must be documented by the employee's supervisor/manager.

Employees are obliged to accept the offer to work from home if there are no reasons to the contrary. Reasons may include, for example, insufficient technical equipment, the lack of a quiet place to work or cramped living conditions. It is sufficient to inform the manager that personal circumstances do not permit home office.

The current hygiene concept applies to workplaces at the University that are not purely office workplaces, e.g. laboratory activities. These activities are to be carried out in attendance.
The stricter legal regulation takes precedence over the existing home office regulation in the University’s ‘Hygiene and Protection Directive – Professional Activities’ (HygSchRL Berufsausübung).

Current key facts about the Covid-19 vaccination

Where can I receive a Covid19-vaccination?

• At the practice of your General Practitioner
• Mobile vaccination teams, that move around in different city districts
  - Different times of day in different places
  -  Up-to-date overview: https://www.stadt-koeln.de/artikel/70610/index.html At the top of the website you can switch the language into English. You will then find the information under the tab “Mobile vaccinations”
  - You do not need to make an appointment, but you will have to bring a prove of the 3G-rule (tested, vaccinated, recovered)
  - This offer applies to all persons above the age of 12 years. Children and teens until the age of 15 must bring a confirmation of their legal guardian
  - Public health department (Neumarkt 15-21, 50667 Cologne)
  - Opening hours:
   Monday - Wednesday: 9 AM - 5 PM
   Thursday: 11 AM - 7 PM
   Friday: 07:30 AM - 3:30 PM
  - An appointment is necessary! You can book the appointment here  https://ga-koeln.impfsystem.de/visitor/ or via telephone +49 152 / 54547011

Is it possible to receive a flu and Covid-19 vaccination at the same time?

• Yes! According to the STIKO recommendation you can receive both vaccinations at the same time.

What are the requirements for the booster vaccination?

• You are eligible if you have received a first vaccination series (first and second vaccination or one time vaccination for those who have recovered) with an mRNA vaccine (BioNTech, Moderna) or with a vector vaccine (AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson)
• The vaccination series must have been completed at least six months ago
• Exception: In the case of a single vaccination with Johnson & Johnson, the booster vaccination can take place four weeks later

Where can I get information on the effectiveness, side effects etc. of the Covid-19 vaccination?

• The Federal Ministry of Health offers a wide range of information material: https://www.zusammengegencorona.de/en/?articlefilter=coronavirusvaccination
•  Information overview of the federal government
• Side effects and vaccine reactions:
  - Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
  - BMG

From 24 November 2021, only employees with proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid-19, or a negative test (3G) will be allowed access to the workplace, and to the UoC premises in general. Supervisors check the status of their assigned employees and document this in lists (paper or electronic). The information itself must not be stored permanently; the lists must be kept for six months. The organization and responsibilities of 3G control shall be recorded in writing for each area. Vaccination status shall be recorded once, the status as recovered shall be recorded with the end date of the status and shall only be checked again after its expiry. The status as tested must be documented for each working day in attendance before entering the workplace.

It is recommended to scan the QR code of the respective 3G certificate using the CoVPassCheck app to verify it. How the QR code or vaccination certificate is sent to the supervisor – as an (encrypted) attachment to an email, via zoom call, in paper form, in person on site if necessary – is not specified. However, photos or scans of negative test certificates without a QR code are not permissible; in this case, the original certificate must be submitted.

The 3G proof of visitors on campus must be checked by the employees of the University of Cologne, preferably using the CoVPassCheckApp, insofar as their 3G status cannot already be verified due to their employment at the University of Cologne.

Employees of external companies who work at the University of Cologne must prove their 3G status to their own employer. In these cases, there is no obligation for employees of the University of Cologne to check.

More information is provided in the Corona-Arbeitsschutzverordnung and the Corona-Schutzverordnung NRW.

Official meetings are no longer subject to approval (e.g. work meetings, committee meetings, etc.). However, occupational health and safety regulations must be observed. These include:

• The organizer must ensure ‘3G’ control upon entry.
• If there are more than 15 people in the room, masks must be worn. If there are fewer than 15 people, the event management decides on this.
• Official meetings may only take place in well-ventilated rooms. As a rule of thumb, rooms may be occupied at 60% of maximum capacity.
• No contact tracing is required at this time.

More information is available in the Guideline Work.

Business trips (including excursions) to Germany or abroad will again be approved by the manager through the regular official channels as of 18.09.2021.
Exception: For business trips to international high-risk areas or virus variant areas, an unavoidable necessity must be demonstrated. Such business trip requests must be submitted to the Rector or Chancellor via the manager or supervisor.

As a general rule, business travel should still be planned and conducted with prudence. Quarantine measures may be required upon return, depending in part on vaccination status. Therefore, we recommend that you do not return directly to camous after your return, but rather, if possible, plan to work from home for a few days.

More information is available in the Guideline Work and in the Corona-Einreise-Verordnung.

Events with external guests are no longer subject to approval. However, the legal regulations provide for a number of protective measures that the event organizer must ensure are observed. These include:

• Events may only take place in certified rooms. Here, too, the rule of thumb currently applies that rooms may be used to a maximum of 60 % of their maximum capacity. Please note that the rooms are made available at the University with priority for teaching and examinations.
• Only vaccinated, tested, or recovered persons are admitted. This must be ensured by the event management.
• A coronavirus risk assessment (GBU) must be prepared and presented upon request. Staff Unit 02.2 (Occupational Health and Safety) provides advice.
• If there are more than 15 people indoors, masks are compulsory. If there are less than 15 persons, the event management decides.
• All other detailed questions arise from the currently applying coronavirus protection regulations of the state or the federal government.

Coronavirus infections no longer need to be reported to the Prevention Office.
However, as usual, employees should inform their supervisor as well as the Human Resources Department.
However, employees are required to notify their manager and Human Resources if they are quarantined.

More information is provided in the Guideline Work.

A house ban in all buildings and rooms used by the University applies to persons (i) for whom a quarantine is ordered by law or by an authority, or (ii) who have a suspected or uncertain coronavirus infection, e.g., cough, fever, cold, and loss of smell and taste. Additional details: https://am.uni-koeln.de/e34120/am_mitteilungen/@78/AM_2021-79_HausverboteCovid_ger.pdf, in force until 30 March 2022.
 

You may find further FAQ here.