As members of the Hindu student community in the United Kingdom, it is imperative that we limit the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in any way that we can. 

This document provides an overview of the following information:

• COVID-19 information sources
• What to do if you have Coronavirus symptoms
• Travel guidance
• Holding events on campus
• What to do if a Hindu society member tests positive for Covid-19.

If you are on your Hindu society committee, and have any queries in the meantime, please direct these to Ajay Sohal, National Campus Team Coordinator, via ajay.sohal@nhsf.org.uk.

Please note that this information is correct as of 12 November 2020.

To download a copy of this guidance, please click here.

Disclaimer: 

The following guide is simply a summary of the relevant UK Government guidance and other relevant bodies in relation to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

NHSF (UK) will endeavour to keep this guide as up to date as possible in light of the changing Government guidance, however accepts no responsibility or liability for any information contained that may be contrary to the most recent Government guidance. You should read the most up to date advice at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and ensure that you are following the guidance for your area.

Health Guidance

What are the symptoms of Covid-19?

Experiencing (or suspecting to have) a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste.

What should I do if I have the symptoms?

You should self isolate for a period of 10 days if you have experienced any of the symptoms, and arrange to have a free test which can be booked via this link.

 If you have obtained a positive test result, you must restart the 10 day isolation period from the day you received the result. 

 

What should I do if someone I know has symptoms?

 Household

If you are in the same household, you must stay at home for 14 days starting from the day the person in your household developed symptoms or when their test was taken. 

 NHS Test & Trace

If you are contacted by the NHS Test & Trace service it means you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. You must self-isolate for 14 days. 

Note: household means a group of people (who may or may not be related) living at the same address and who share facilities with one another,  This includes a support bubble and covers those you are flat/house sharing with in university or private accommodation. 

Am I allowed to interact with people from a different household?

You should always follow the Government mandated social distancing guidelines when interacting with anyone from a different household. This means ensuring that you:

1. Wash and sanitise your hands regularly
2. Cover your face in enclosed spaces
3. Make space when around people from different households.

Ensure that you always keep a distance of 2 metres where possible. Where a distance of 2 metres cannot be kept, please mitigate the spread of Covid-19 by wearing a face mask and avoiding face-to-face contact. 

What are the new rules around UK regions?

England

• From 5th November 2020 to 2nd December 2020 England will be having a lockdown or a ‘circuit breaker’ to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
• This means that you must stay at home and avoid meeting people who you do not live with, except for specific purposes. A full list has been provided by the government here. Specific purposes include: 
• Going to work or to volunteer (but only where you cannot do this from home);
• Going to shops that are permitted to be open;
• For education and childcare; 
• Medical appointments;
• You must not meet people socially. However, you can exercise or meet in a public, outdoors space with people you live with, your support bubble or with one other person.
• You must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble.
• You can leave home for education as universities will still be open during this time, however you should check with your Students’ Union to see what facilities are still open and how they are operating.
• If you live at university, you must not move back and forth between your permanent home and student home during term time. You should only return home at the end of term.

Note: Please ensure you check updated and accurate guidance for your area.

Scotland

From 2 November 2020, Scotland will be operating a five-level COVID-19 protection system. You can check here which level your area falls into.

 

Level 0	8 people from up to 3 households may meet indoors (including inside someone’s home) and 15 people from up to 5 households may meet outdoors.  All organised sports and exercise activities are permitted within these restrictions. Avoid any unnecessary travel to Level 3 or 4 areas and minimise unnecessary journeys to other areas in different levels.
Level 1	6 people from up to 2 households may meet indoors (including inside someone’s home) or outdoors.  All organised outdoor sports, personal training and coaching, are permitted within these restrictions, as are indoor group exercise classes and non-contact sports. Avoid any unnecessary travel to Level 3 or 4 areas and minimise unnecessary journeys to other areas in different levels.
Level 2	6 people from up to 2 households may meet indoors (but not in someone’s home) or outdoors.  All organised outdoor sports, personal training and coaching, and organised indoor exercise and non-contact sport are permitted within these restrictions.  Avoid any unnecessary travel to Level 3 or 4 areas and minimise unnecessary journeys to other areas in different levels.
Level 3	6 people from up to 2 households may meet indoors (but not in someone’s home) or outdoors.  Organised outdoor non-contact sports, personal training and coaching are permitted within these restrictions. Avoid any unnecessary travel out of the area.
Level 4	6 people from up to 2 households may meet indoors (but not in someone’s home) or outdoors. You can meet others outside for non-contact sports or exercise within the restrictions. Indoor sports facilities will be closed and indoor sports are not permitted. Avoid any unnecessary travel out of the area. Minimise journeys within the area.

 Note: Please ensure you check updated and accurate guidance for your area.

Wales

• You must limit the times you leave your home and the distance you travel.
• You must not visit other households or meet other people you do not live with.
• Face coverings continue to be mandatory in the indoor public spaces that remain open (subject to certain exemptions and exceptions), including on public transport and in taxis. 
• If you attend university in England, which is not covered by the firebreak, you are allowed to travel to university throughout the firebreak period. However, this is only if you are unable to access your education online for this period.
• Students living in Wales, and  Welsh students living outside Wales should not travel between university and home.
• You should only move between your term time address and your home address if absolutely necessary, for example for work, to provide or receive care or because of concerns about your wellbeing. You should not return home for a ‘visit’ during this period.

Note: Please ensure you check updated and accurate guidance for your area.

 

Holding Events on Campus

NHSF (UK) advises that you continue to hold all Hindu society events and activities virtually so that more students are able to join and participate. 

Travel

• Ideally try to use methods that do not rely on transport infrastructure, such as walking or cycling. 

• If you must use public transport try to use the nearest method available to you and try to keep this to a minimum to reduce your risk of exposure to Covid-19. Most transport networks mandate that you have to practise socially distant seating and wear face coverings at all times.

• You should not travel with someone from outside your household unless you can practise social distancing – for example by cycling. 

• Note that it is not possible to practice effective social distancing in small vehicles.

 

What do I do if a Hindu Society member tests positive for Covid-19?   Whilst there should be no face-to-face Hindu society events, if an event/session takes place in person, contact information of all attendees need to be taken prior to the event. This can be done by having a registration system in place.  All events should have an NHS QR code for your venue to help trace, track and stop the spread of COVID-19. You can create your own poster using the service linked here.   If at any event someone tests positive, an email should go out with the subject of the email containing COVID-19 URGENT. The email should inform every attendee that somebody has tested positive and that each attendee is required to self-isolate for 10 days. In addition, it is advised to use a second method to ensure the message reaches the individual, by way of a phone call or text. Try to avoid using social media to inform your members, and use a more direct approach.  A template of this email can be found on the last page of this document.

Contact details 

If you have queries regarding any of this information please contact:

 

• Ajay Sohal (Campus Coordinator) via ajay.sohal@nhsf.org.uk, 

OR

• NHSF (UK) Legal Team via legalteam@nhsf.org.uk.