CU DORMITORIES ARE GEARING UP FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR
Comenius University dormitories have operated with restrictions for a year and a half but are now entering the new season with a determination to keep their doors open as long as possible. The levels of vaccination among their guests are a reason for optimism, as is the experience they acquired in the last season.
In less than two weeks, on 2 September, first students will arrive at the university’s dormitories. Most students will check in before 20 September, the start of the new academic year at Comenius University Bratislava (CU).
The student dormitories are prepared for the new season. General anti-epidemic measures, like the obligation to wear masks or respirators indoors, are in effect; larger events have been cancelled, and more attention is paid to hygiene and disinfection in the common areas. The dormitories also allocated 10 percent of their capacity for use as isolation rooms. Furthermore, no outside visits are permitted. Visits among dormitory guests are allowed for the time being, but the number of people present in a room at any time may not exceed the number of beds. Gatherings of groups larger than six persons are not permitted either indoors or outdoors. Night-time quiet hours are mandatory between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. as before.
At the time, dormitories are not requiring proof of vaccination from their guests. If the town of Bratislava is placed on the “Watch” level according to the “COVID Automat”, the dormitories will follow the “Vaccinated, Tested Negative or Recovered” rule. This means that entry will be allowed only to persons who are either: fully vaccinated in accordance with Public Decree of the Slovak Public Health Authority No. 240, tested negative (anti-gen test result not older than 48 hours or PCR test result not older than 72 hours), or have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 180 days.
Comenius University feels there are reasons for optimism in the face of the expected following waves of the disease. In August, a survey was conducted among the students who will be checking in at the dormitories during September. According to its results, more than 82 percent of respondents have been vaccinated with at least the first dose of a vaccine, and another 14 percent are planning to get vaccinated by the beginning of the 2021/22 academic year. More than half of the students who were granted accommodation for this year took part in the survey. "The results of the survey give us hope that we will be able to manage the situation after three semesters of distance learning and limited dormitory operation. It is difficult to predict anything with certainty during a pandemic and the situation is affected by many external factors. The upcoming semester is very likely to be turbulent, and a combination of online and on-site tuition is to be expected, with situation changing at any moment. In the interest of our students and teachers I firmly hope that we can avoid full-time distance teaching this time," said CU Rector Marek Števček.
Comenius University Bratislava runs several student dormitories. The largest are the Ľudovít Štúr – Mlyny Campus and the Družba University Dormitory with a combined capacity of 8500 beds. The University also operates other, smaller dormitories in Bratislava, Martin and Nitra.