Over the next few months, you are likely to be attending lots of in-person teaching and social events. It may be your first time on campus, or perhaps you haven’t been in over a year. We understand that you may have questions regarding COVID-19 measures and vaccines.
So, what do you need to know?
How does the vaccine work?
All Covid vaccines help our body to develop an immune response to the coronavirus. It is important that you have both doses of your vaccine. Your second dose must be at least 8 weeks after your first. For more details about how vaccine works, go to the NHS website here.
Where can I get vaccinated and how much does it cost?
The College provides pop-up vaccination clinics for every Wednesdays and Thursdays from the 6th of October until the 21st of October. Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are available. Book an appointment and pop over to Prince’s Gardens in South Kensington between 10am and 5pm to get a vaccine. Don’t forget your student ID! If you can’t attend the vaccination clinics, you can book a COVID-19 vaccination on the NHS website here. Vaccination is free for everyone in the UK, including international students.
Once you’re vaccinated, you should let the College know via My Imperial.
How can I do a COVID test?
The College runs a PCR testing scheme in various testing stations at different campuses where you can take a weekly test if you have no symptoms. Alternatively, you can use a lateral flow device (LFD) test at home twice per week. You can either collect them in campus/halls of residence or order them via the Government website. Results for the PCR will be notified via email within 36 hours. For LFD it takes 30 minutes to get your result. The College recommends that students take either of these tests regularly, even if you are double vaccinated.
You can report every COVID test result via My Imperial and report your LFD test result here.
What should I do if I get a positive COVID-19 result?
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, stay at home and self-isolate immediately. If you are notified by NHS Test and Trace of a positive test result you must complete your full isolation period for 10 days. Your isolation period starts immediately from when your symptoms started. You might need to self-isolate for longer if you get symptoms while self-isolating or your symptoms do not go away. If you are in close contact with someone who has COVID, you may not be required to self-isolate in certain circumstances. For more details, visit the government website here.
What can I do to help keep our campuses safe?
The College expects everyone to wear face coverings indoors, which applies to most indoor settings on campus. If you are on campus or live in halls of residence, you are required to take regular COVID tests and to report all results on My Imperial.
While we are excited to return to the campus and able to use all the College facilities, it is important to keep our communities safe. It is key to reduce the risk of COVID transmission on campus in order to allow a degree of in-person teaching in all departments. Regular COVID testing and being fully vaccinated is the best way to keep us all safe. We actively support the efforts made by the College to minimise the transmission of COVID on campus.
Daniel - Deputy President (Education)
