Below you can find the update of March 6 2020. Visit www.vub.be/coronavirus for all information. The above web page is updated regularly and you'll find contact information and FAQ's.
Update 6 March 2020
Guidelines provided by the Belgian government (Ministry of Public Health) for the coronavirus disease remain unchanged in today’s daily update. VUB isn’t issuing new internal rules either. However, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel recently received an important notification from 2 of its students: both claim having had contact with a person who contracted the disease. Both incidents are treated with the necessary care. The students involved stay home for the following 14 days, as requested in government guidelines. VUB emphasizes that this is a precautionary measure. At the moment, the students have not been diagnosed with the coronavirus disease. VUB is just following general government guidelines. VUB classes and assemblies aren’t suspended. The institute isn’t being shut down in any way at this moment.
The coronavirus has already spread throughout Belgium. Most likely, VUB will also be affected in the near future. Therefore, we already created a crucial procedure to be deployed immediately with local authorities when a case of coronavirus infection is detected. If coronavirus disease is diagnosed at our institute, this should be reported immediately to the rectorate (rector@vub.be) or general management ( algemeen.beheerder@vub.be). These mailboxes are monitored continuously.
For the time being, standard hygiene and prevention rules remain instrumental to avoid infection:
- Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly
- Cough in a paper tissue (and throw it away in a closed bin afterwards), or in your elbow
- Use paper tissues to clean your nose.
- In case of illness: stay home.
- Avoid touching your face with your hands as much as possible.
- Avoid physical contact
- Air the rooms frequently
VUB students and VUB personnel find all relevant information on the coronavirus webpages (www.vub.be/coronavirus). We ask everyone to remain vigilant in this matter, to stay home and to contact the family doctor in case of any doubt. Actual VUB guidelines are in line with instructions of the Ministry of Public Health and the department of education. µ
We stress that everyone having visited a risk area or a person possibly infected with coronavirus disease is to remain vigilant and to contact a doctor if required. Please, also report immediately to the rectorate (rector@vub.be) or to general management ( algemeen.beheerder@vub.be) in this case.
VUB students and personnel, having visited a risk area and working at the UZ Brussel hospital, have to stay home for 14 days as a precautionary measure, as instructed by the UZ Brussel authorities.
VUB students and personnel can find all relevant information on coronavirus disease and precautionary measures on the webpages: www.vub.be/coronavirus .
If you have a question about incoming or outgoing mobility, please contact IRMO by mail: international.relations@vub.be.
General information, issued by the government, can be found on https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/.
For travellers’ information, please visit: https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/travelling_abroad.