Coronavirus : what you need to know

Updated February 17, 2022

Academic and from the HES-SO Genève decisions :

Political decisions :

The HES-SO Genève is closely monitoring the information of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). In order to safeguard its whole community and to prevent the spread of the virus, the institution applies the recommendations of the cantonal doctor as well as those of the Council of State. The institution adapts its health policy at any time in response to new recommendations of the federal and cantonal authorities. Should a major change take place, the entire HES-SO Genève community will be informed by email.

An internal crisis unit has been set up to implement measures and anticipate future needs, particularly with regard to IT, so that the institution and its schools can pursue their missions while ensuring health conditions in line with the recommendations of health and political authorities.

The « Unité santé, sécurité et bien-être au travail » is also available for you (French)

Health measures in force

The HES-SO Genève strongly advises everyone to apply the basic hygiene rules described below and to follow all the precautionary measures recommended by the Confederation.

Vulnerable people

On 13 January 2020, the Federal Council announced that vulnerable people must be protected with specific measures. At the HES-SO Geneva level, Specific provisions for vulnerable people have been taken, coming into force on 18 January 2021.
Rules to protect employees at especially high risk will remain in place until the end of March.

Reminder of preventive measures

Basic safety and preventive measures for coronavirus are the same as for a cold or the flu:

Wash your hands thoroughly

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub.

Cough and sneeze into a paper tissue/handerchief or the crook of your arm

Cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when coughing and sneezing and wash hands with soap and water.

Avoid shaking hands.

Keep your distances.

Regularly ventilate the premises

Stay at home if you have a high temperature and a cough.

Always call ahead before going to the doctor’s or the emergency department.

Should your doctor not be reachable, call :

Genève Médecins (GeMed): 022 754 54 54
Médecins Urgences: 022 321 21 21
SOS-Médecins : 022 748 49 50

Covid certificate - Tests - Vaccines

Covid certificate

Covid certificates are issued to people who have been vaccinated or recovered from covid within less than 270 days, in paper form or via an app.

The Covid certificates is no longer required in Switzerland but is still necessary in others countries. However, the Swiss authorities will continue to issue Covid certificates recognised by the EU.

Tests

Tests centers with easures for targeted and repeated tests, which were set up in the HES-SO Geneva schools, are now closed, as the certificate Covid is no longer required to go to school.

Symptoms: what to do

According to the Federal Office of Public Health, the most common symptoms are:

Respiratory illness symptoms (sore throat, cough (usually dry), shortness of breath, chest pain)
High temperature
Sudden loss of sense of smell and/or taste

Other symptoms may include:

General weakness, feeling unwell
Aching muscles
Head cold
Gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache)
Skin rash

If you have symptoms of severe respiratory tract infection (cough, sore throat, short breath), with or without fever, muscle ache, sudden loss of sense of smell and/or taste, it is recommended that you get yourself tested by contacting one of the collection centers in the Canton of Geneva.

Quarantines

Since February 03, 2022, contact quarantine has been completely abolished, including for people living together with the infected person. However, the isolation measures for people positive for Covid-19 remain.

Isolation :

The Federal Council decided to shorten the isolation period from ten to five days with effect from Thursday, 13 January 2022. In order to come out of isolation, the person concerned must be symptom-free for 48 hours

For staff members: medical certificates shall again be required after 3 days of absence. Those who are tested positive for COVID-19 will receive a medical certificate and must immediately inform their employer. Those who were exposed to a person who tested positive will be contacted by the cantonal doctor’s office and asked to self-quarantine if necessary.

FAQ and official sources

For medical questions, check the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) FAQ
Want to quickly assess your risk and know what to do? The FOPH has put online a customized and free advice tool allowing you to evaluate your risks if you have any fears.
For more information on coronavirus, the HES-SO Genève recommends to consult the following official and continuously updated sources:
- Service du médecin cantonal (SMC), Etat de Genève (French)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- FOPH hotline :
  - For the general public : 058 463 00 00
  - For travellers : 058 464 44 88

Staff

Briefly

From Thursday, 17 February, masks and Covid certificates is no longer required.

The teleworking is not recommanded anymore. The « Directive sur le travail à domicile » is now applied.

Access to buildings

Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory in our buildings.

Librairies and other common areas

Libraries, information centres, resource centres and other common areas (meeting rooms, breakout areas, entrances, receptions, study areas, etc.) or areas for the use of students (entrances, receptions, study areas, etc.) are accessible to all, without wearing a mask and without certificate Covid.

Cafeterias

Cafeterias are now accessible to all, without wearing a mask and without certificate Covid.

Working on site and/or teleworking

The teleworking is not recommanded anymore. The « Directive sur le travail à domicile » is now applied.

Rules to protect employees at especially high risk will remain in place until the end of March.

Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory.

Of course, people can still wear a mask if they wish.

Teaching

Teaching is provided face-to-face.

Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Maximum duration of studies

The normal duration of studies remains the same for all students. However, due to the pandemic and its potential effects on students’ education, the maximum duration of studies will be extended by two semesters.

Continuing education

Masks and Covid certificates are no longer required.

Events between colleagues

They are no restrictions anymore. Masks and Covid certificates are no longer required.

Public events

They are no restrictions anymore. Masks and Covid certificates are no longer required.

IT support

In case of teleworking and distance learning, the HES-SO Genève has implemented a specific device: see tho FAQ set up by IT.
In order for everyone to have access to the VPN (how to use it available here), please make sure to disconnect as soon as the necessary documents are downloaded. Indeed, the bandwidth does not allow everyone to work at the same time on the VPN.
Helpdesks continue to be available. Please use “tickets” rather than contacts by phone.
As far as distance learning is concerned, several webinars are referenced on both the DIS and cyberlearn websites. These webinars explain e.g. how to create a course, make it more interactive or pass an exam.
Teams (synchronous teaching) and Moodle (asynchronous teaching) solutions are available to teachers. All the necessary information is available on Cyberlearn or through an information center.

Traveling abroad

Health-related measures for persons entering the country are lifted. It is no longer necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test or complete an entry form.

Find out more about entering Switzerland on the dedicated Confederation page.

Before any trip abroad, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to check the websites of the embassies or consulates of the destination country. In all cases, it is essential to carefully follow the health and safety measures recommended by the relevant health authorities.

Students

Briefly

Teaching is provided face-to-face.

Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Of course, people can still wear a mask if they wish.

Teaching

Teaching is provided face-to-face.

Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Of course, people can still wear a mask if they wish.

Maximum duration of studies

Continuing education

Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Access to buildings

Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Of course, people can still wear a mask if they wish.

Libraries and spaces dedicated to students

Libraries, information centres, resource centres and other common areas (meeting rooms, breakout areas, entrances, receptions, study areas, etc.) or areas for the use of students (entrances, receptions, study areas, etc.) are accessible to all. Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Cafeterias

Masks and Covid certificate are no longer required.

Events between students

They are no restrictions anymore. Masks and Covid certificates are no longer required.

Public events

They are no restrictions anymore. Masks and Covid certificates are no longer required.

IT support

In case of teleworking and distance learning, the HES-SO Genève has implemented a specific device: see the FAQ set up by IT.
In order for everyone to have access to the VPN (how to use it available here), please make sure to disconnect as soon as the necessary documents are downloaded. Indeed, the bandwidth does not allow everyone to work at the same time on the VPN.
Helpdesks continue to be available. Please use “tickets” rather than contacts by phone.

IN and OUT mobility

In terms of mobility, the situation is changing somewhat with vaccination, but remains fragile with the risk of new variants emerging, as well as new travel restrictions.

OUT mobility

As such, given the high level of uncertainty and current constraints around international mobility outside Europe, for the spring semester of 2022, study abroad programmes in the Schengen area or under the aegis of ERASMUS+/SEMP (including the OCTs), as well as mobility outside Europe for students with full vaccination are authorised, provided that in-person teaching, even in part, is planned at the time of departure and that the measures (such as quarantines, PCR tests, and vaccines) are respected and anticipated. Universities do not cover any costs relating to tests to be taken in this context.

IN mobility

Incoming students from abroad are authorised subject to access to Swiss territory and provided that most of the teaching can be guaranteed in-person.

The details of the measures decided by the Local Education Authority can be found here (in French).

Traveling abroad

Private traveling

Health-related measures for persons entering the country are lifted. It is no longer necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test or complete an entry form.

Find out more about entering Switzerland on the dedicated Confederation page.

In case of quarantine, useful information on platforms for food delivery are available here and on this site

Financial and psychological aid

Financial support

To cope with the economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis, HES-SO Geneva and UNIGE have simplified and strengthened their support system for students to better meet their needs.

As such, students in financial difficulties can have recourse to monthly or one-off financial support, as stated on the HES-SO Geneva website.

One-off financial support scheme

Faced with the threat of instability brought on by the pandemic, as a reminder, emergency scholarships are available from the first year of study and throughout the academic year. They may be granted once per semester, renewable for up to three months, and along the following five lines:

Job loss (up to 600 CHF)
Food aid (up to 600 CHF)
Housing aid (up to 700 CHF)
Health costs (up to 1000 CHF per year, by submitting a CUMD certificate)
Study costs (up to 600 CHF)

Note that fees for material resources are included in “study costs” (books, computer, printer, internet subscription, artistic material, provided that access to these resources is not offered by the school).

Applications must be done directly online on the website of the Social and Finance Service of the University of Geneva and according to the following procedure:

Check out the emergency scholarship section and identify the type(s) of aid that you need. Remember to include all the required supporting materials, including your school's certification if you apply for "study costs".
Complete the online form by clicking on the "" button. Students who have already been granted a scholarship must submit their application directly by email to the social worker in charge of their file as the form may only be completed once per academic year.
Once your application has been processed, you will receive a reply by email from the Social and Finance Service.

Outgoing students who have to interrupt their stay abroad due to the pandemic are eligible to apply to emergency scholarships upon their return to Switzerland. Travel expenses relating to their return as well as unforeseen expenses abroad may however not be covered.

As for incoming students, they are not granted access to the emergency financial aid scheme in place.

Psychological support

In addition, during this period, it is essential to be able to express yourself and be heard. You therefore have access to a free telephone hotline for psychological guidance: +41 22 379 74 41.

Finally, the pandemic has had a strong impact on the population’s morale and mental health. Taking care of yourself is essential. www.santepsy.ch has lots of advice and signposts to various addresses. Set up by French-speaking cantons and Coraasp (French-speaking Swiss Organisation for Mental Health Associations), the website has also created a "Mental health & Covid-19" section.