CORONAVIRUS

COVID-19 – Useful information: exemptions, certificates, eating areas, medical guidelines

  • BCP Committee: campus access and exemptions

Campus access must remain restricted to those with permission of the BCP Committee. External visitors must obtain an exemption to access campus. To help the BCP Committee manage requests for exemptions, we would ask you to send any requests to the relevant email address in the table below depending on the specific situation.


The BCP Committee would like to clarify that all access measures are applicable for all staff on the Paris campuses in the 15th and 12th arrondissements (Hearing Institute), as well as for companies based at the Institut Pasteur.

 

 

  • Certificates for traveling to and from work

If you need a new certificate to access or leave campus during the curfew (between 6pm and 6am), we would ask you to submit a request via the following link.

The BCP Committee would remind you that certificates for traveling to and from work will only be granted on an exceptional basis in response to a justified request, in accordance with the organizational arrangements for each team and with the agreement of the team manager.

 

 

  • Changes to eating areas on campus from February 22

To minimize the spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants on campus, especially as scientific staff move to a new rotation system, the BCP Committee has decided to review the arrangements for eating areas.

• The company restaurant will continue to open from 11.30am to 2.15pm. The new spacing between seats will be maintained, and the Hygiabox units to monitor CO2 will remain in place to indicate how well air is circulating. Staff bringing food from home can use the microwaves to heat their meals.

• Two new eating areas will open from February 22:
- The cafeteria "The 25" (with a limited selection of food available on site)
- The atrium of the François Jacob building (which can be used as an eating space)

These areas will be accessible all day long. They will be set up with standing tables or individual tables, spaced 2 meters apart, so that you can come and eat alone.

A member of the cleaning team will be responsible for cleaning the premises throughout the day.

We would ask you to respect these eating areas and to leave as soon as you have finished so that other staff can use them. They should be used exclusively for eating and should not become ad hoc meeting rooms.

Posters will be displayed with some basic rules on using these areas.

Individual cafeterias in buildings and coffee areas in laboratories will remain open, but we would ask you not to gather in groups without masks over a coffee or a meal.

We would draw your attention to the fact that gathering together in confined spaces without masks considerably increases the risk of infection.

We would also remind you again of the importance of hygiene and distancing measures, now more than ever:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap or hand sanitizer;
- Disinfect your workspaces every day with 70% alcohol;
- Air all offices frequently to eliminate any virus particles trapped in aerosols – this is especially important in areas where masks are removed;
- Hygiabox units are available (9333@pasteur.fr) to give you an idea of how well air is circulating in your premises or your office.

 

  • Updated medical guidelines

The isolation measures for COVID-19 cases and high-risk contacts have recently been harmonized. They are part of an enhanced strategy designed to tackle the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants in France, as laid down in memo 2021_20 from the French General Directorate of Health (DGS).
 
The medical guidelines for Institut Pasteur staff have been updated to incorporate these latest measures taken by the DGS.

You can consult the guidelines here
•    One important change is the new self-isolation period of 10 days for all confirmed and probable cases.
•    The length of the self-isolation period for high-risk contacts is still 7 days after the most recent contact with the infected person.
•    All high-risk contacts (within and outside the home) are advised to take an antigen test immediately.
•    All infected individuals and contacts must comply with enhanced hygiene and distancing measures in the workplace for a further 7 days after their period of isolation, making sure they eat alone and do not use the company restaurant. Remote working is advised for all those whose job allows them to do so.
 
For more information about the definition of high-risk contacts – possible, probable or confirmed cases – please see the Santé publique France information sheet here.

 

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