News

Regulations from 17 October 2020

Bielefeld is officially classified as Covid-19 hotspot, with more than 50 new Corona cases in 100.000 inhabitants a week. From 17 October, these regulations are in effect:

- Gatherings with a max. of 10 people (public and private space)

- Wearing of an oronasal facemask in all public space

- Closing hour in bars 11 pm

- Keep distance of 1.5m

Regulations from October 2020: Travel to Germany from a Risk Area
To prevent the spread of Covid-19, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany has released new regulations when it comes to entering Germany from a risk area:

- It is not possible to prevent quarantine by travelling with a PCR-test anymore. Information on the spead of Covid-19 show that a person can be infectuous even if they have tested negative. Symptoms might occur up to 5 days after infection.

The new rules state:
1. You need to quarantine for 14 days when entering Germany from a risk area.
2. The quarantine can only be cut short when you decide to get tested for Covid-19 after Day 5 of your quarantine.

3. Further Instructions:
- Inform the International Office of FH Bielefeld about your arrival date.
- Let the City of Bielefeld know  about your travel to Germany from a risk area: Fill in this form on the official Bielefeld Website: https://tinyurl.com/y6cbybgn (It is in German, you can find a translation of the form in the download box on the left: "Translation: Form for Registration as Traveller from a Risk Area (Bielefeld City)").
- Once you arrive in Germany, travel straight to your accommodation and confine yourself to quarantine.
- When you receive your negative Corona Test result after day 5, contact the Health Office of Bielefeld under info.corona@bielefeld.de and attach theresult to your email. State a phone number for them to contact you.
- Do not leave the flat until you receive a reply from the Health Office. Only when the health office contacts you with confirmation will you be allowed to break quarantine and go outside.

Most importantly: Regardless of whether you provide a negative Corona test, travellers from risk areas are not allowed to enter the buildings of FH Bielefeld up to 14 days after their arrival.  This regulation has been decided by the Presidential Board of FH Bielefeld in order to limit the spread of the Corona Virus.

Thank you for your support in flattening the curve!

Referring to the News entry from 18.05.20:

In accordance to the regulations from 11 August 2020, you will need to check if you enter from a country that is classified as risk area. If you enter from a risk area – European or Non-European – you will need to provide a negative Corona test or subject yourself to a 2-week quarantine.

This is a new development and different from the news we gave you in May.

Extended Regulations for Opening of the University Library:
- Extended opening hours of the university library: Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 4 pm
- No more pick-up orders: You now have free access to the shelf areas (Please take into account the direction of movement as outlined in the library, keep the, required minimum distance and follow  hygiene regulations). The library opens for the purpose of borrwing printed literature only. To avoid contact with library staff, borrowing books is only possible via the self-check-out machines.

- What you must do: Wear mouth and nose protection at all times (face masks).

The relaxation of the regulations wil be carried out under strict precautions and protective conditions.

PLEASE NOTE:

- The workstations, study rooms, PCs and printers as well as services that require physical contact cannot be used.

- Copying and scanning is possible in compliance with minimum distances and regulation of access to the copy rooms.

To enter and leave the library rooms, you must register with your name and signature, as well as your arrival and departure time at the Info Point at FH Bielefeld.

In order to guarantee protection against infection, there is a maximum number of people allowed tob e present in the library.

Further information on the precautions taken and rules of conduct at the library locations can be found under https://www.fh-bielefeld.de/bib/aktuelles/corona-wiedereroeffnung  (This is in German, so please enter this into deepl.com to find all info you need to know).

Please behave in accordance with the regulations to protect others and yourself. In order to remain open, we are dependent on your careful behavior.

If you have any further questions, please contact bib.info@fh-bielefeld.de

For European citizens, our region (North Rhine Westfalia) no longer has quarantine restrictions for people travelling into the country.  This means you do not have to subject yourself to 14-days of self-isolation when you travel to NRW from Europe.

Please read more here: https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/EN/2020/05/changes-in-the-border-regime.html  (The crucial sentence being: „A 14-day quarantine should be ordered in future only for travellers entering Germany from countries outside of the EU“.)

It is important to note that other Bundesländer (Federal States) may decide against this relaxation of the quarantine rule. So if you are currently in Germany, but not NRW, please inform yourself about regulations in your Bundesland.

Important: Please also inform yourself about the quarantine restrictions of your own country, so that you will not face trouble travelling back.

The federal states and our chancellor declared the following relaxations of Corona regulations (relevant to you):

1)      Starting Monday, 11 May, all shops are allowed to open again (provided they can offer the necessary hygenic safety measures)

2)      Opening of restaurants starting on 11 May, but with reduced seating

3)      Olderdissen Zoo opens again on 12 May 2020. (https://goo.gl/maps/biAuyKFTtgypPmZB8)

4)      Bielefeld’s museums are already open again.

5)      From 11 May onwards, playgrounds are open again.

6)      Contact to other people: Starting 11 May, it is permitted if people of 2 households meet in public.

Please continue to act responsible and sensible in public: Masks are still obligatory in shops, tram, train or bus and the 1,5 m gap between individuals should be upheld.

Bars and clubs are still closed and events/public parties not permitted to take place. Despite the changes, your semester will continue online. Most exams will be held online, too. Please contact your professors and talk to them about exams. Kindly ensure that your exam dates lie within the semester. You can only take exams if your are still enrolled, so your last exam should be 31 August at the latest.

Travel restrictions are still in place. Whenever you have travelled into another country, quaranteen regulations must be upheld for 14 days. There still is a world-wide travel warning.

(Political) developments in this region, North Rhine Westfalia (NRW): As of Monday (4/27), NRW has made wearing a mask mandatory when shopping and taking busses trams or trains. Masks can be bought in the following stores: Rossmann, DM, Real.

I would encourage you to post in the Incoming Whats App group if you know of any other stores or places where you can buy masks.

Please remember that you might have to pay a penalty fee if you go into a supermarket or store without a mask or use the regional travel without one.

Important: If you do not have a mask yet, a scarf wrapped around your mouth is (as of this week) also possible.

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One more point of interest: The university will reopen the University Library Campus Bielefeld from 27.04.2020 in restricted service operation. The reopening will be carried out under strict pre-cautions: Only for the purpose of lending printed literature to students, lecturers and other members of the university. The workstations, study rooms, PCs and printers, as well as services that require physical contact, still cannot be used. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the University Library Campus Bielefeld. Borrowing of printed books is only possible after pre-order via the self-check-out machines.

To enter and leave the library rooms you have to log in and log out at the designated places.

For more information on the precautions and rules of conduct in place at library locations, you can contact bib.info@fh-bielefeld.de.

Since 10 April 2020, the Robert Koch Institute no longer identifies any international areas as risky or particularly affected by COVID-19. The virus has spread world-wise. Outbreaks have occurred in a considerable number of countries, some of them with large case numbers; the exact case numbers of other countries are not known. There is therefore a risk of transmission both in Germany and in a vast number of regions worldwide. The Federal Foreign Office has issued a worldwide travel warning.

More information can be found here (only available in German): https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete.html

Information for incoming exchange students in winter 2020/2021

Currently (as of 03 April 2020) we are operating under the assumption that the winter semester 2020/2021 at the FH Bielefeld will take place with courses that require physical attendance.

Since the situation is dynamic and might change, we recommend that you do not make any travel arrangements at the moment, if your (flight) tickets do not have a cancellation or re-booking policy.