Message from Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President & Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning)

Dear colleagues and students

You will have seen the recent uptick in confirmed Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong. It’s hard to predict how high the number of new cases will go or for how long the spike will last. I’m writing in this uncertain situation to reinforce the need for full compliance with infection-control measures throughout the campus.

Our current guidelines mandate that anyone with fever or respiratory symptoms should not come to campus and should see a doctor as soon as possible. For those who do come to campus, our guidelines mandate: (i) social distancing; (ii) mask-wearing at all times other than eating and drinking; and (iii) eating and drinking in groups of no more than four. This means that inside classrooms, libraries and learning commons, masks must be worn at all times and social distance must be maintained. It means that the same rules apply when walking around the campus. It means that in restaurants, canteens and coffee shops, masks should be removed only when actually eating and drinking, and should be worn at all other times. We have asked our campus security staff to ensure that everyone is being vigilant about infection-control measures.

The University will monitor the current fluid situation carefully. We hope that if we all tighten up our behaviour, it will be possible to see out the semester as planned. Scheduled f2f components of UG and TPG classes can therefore continue, so long as everyone adheres strictly to our existing infection-control guidelines. If necessary, we will make adjustments in the days ahead.

Many thanks for helping us maintain a safe campus environment.

Best wishes, Ian

Professor Ian Holliday

Vice-President (Teaching and Learning)

The University of Hong Kong