COVID-19: new BCP measures starting from June 9

In view of the development of the epidemic, the new national protocol to ensure the health and safety of workers, determined by the French Ministry of Labor as published on June 3, 2021, contains measures to ease working conditions for company staff.

The BCP Committee is now able to announce new measures that will apply on the Institut Pasteur's sites (rue du Docteur Roux and the Hearing Institute) in the coming weeks.

1/ Gradual resumption of work on campus

To give priority to teams involved in wet-lab research activities, on-site and remote working arrangements have been adapted as follows:

• For science:

Possibility of returning to campus full-time (100%) since June 9, in coordination with unit heads. The same shall apply for operational technical support roles on site.
We would still encourage staff who can work from home occasionally to do so, when they have writing tasks or meetings that can be held on a remote basis for instance.

• For administrative support roles:

To ensure a gradual return to campus for staff who have been working from home for the past months, work may be resumed 1 to 2 days (at least 1 mandatory) per week on site until June 30, then 1 to 3 days until the end of the summer, in coordination with team leaders.

Staff will shortly receive information about the organization of work and new home working arrangements that will apply once the epidemic situation has eased after the summer break.

2/ Meetings, seminars and thesis defenses

Face-to-face meetings may be held again as long as the occupancy limits indicated on meeting room doors are observed, and hygiene and distancing measures are observed and masks worn.
•    We would encourage you to continue to hold meetings by video-conference or use a combination of face-to-face/remote meetings to limit the presence of outside visitors on campus.
•    Seminars and thesis defenses may also resume provided the occupancy limits allowed in the meeting rooms where they are held and hygiene and distancing measures are strictly complied with (including the wearing of masks).

Social gatherings notably involving staff on campus in a professional context may be organized provided that hygiene measures are strictly complied with and, in particular, masks are worn, rooms are aired/ventilated and distancing rules are followed. You are recommended to organize these social gatherings outdoors and not to exceed 25 participants.

It is important to bear in mind that groups of people not wearing masks increase the risk of infection.

3/ Company restaurant and cafeterias

Given that the physical distance from others has reverted to 1 meter, the company restaurant and cafeterias may operate once again at half capacity (50%).
Outdoor eating areas will be provided in several parts of the campus to enable staff to eat with colleagues.

However, we would recommend that gatherings of people without masks should still be avoided.

4/ Business trips

Trips within mainland France will once again be allowed as from June 9 and will no longer require special permission. Measures will be eased for trips to overseas territories and within Europe from July 1 onwards, health situation permitting.
Trips outside Europe will still not be allowed, unless special permission is granted by the Delegate for Safety and Security and the respective manager.

We would remind you that the arrangements for hosting foreign interns still apply and are provided in the table accessible via the following link in French (link).

5/ Certificates for working during curfew hours until June 30

If you believe you will need a new certificate to access the Institut Pasteur during the latest curfew times (from 9pm to 6am until June 9, and in theory from 11pm to 6am until June 30; the curfew will be suspended on July 1), please complete the online survey in French: https://forms.pasteur.fr/index.php/247912?lang=fr.

For further information about all these measures, you may consult the Webcampus page in French (link).

We would remind you that hygiene and distancing measures and masks continue to be compulsory on campus at all times, and in particular in shared spaces, and that you are recommended to regularly air enclosed spaces whenever possible. Vaccination can prevent severe forms of COVID-19, but hygiene and distancing measures still apply even with vaccination.

Since the start of the epidemic, the Institut Pasteur has succeeded in limiting cases of infection on site and we would like to thank all staff for this. But we must remain cautious and our conduct must be exemplary.

We will be back in touch again during the month of June if the measures were to change between now and the summer holiday period.

Kind regards,

The BCP Committee