In order to deal with the two simultaneous waves of the Delta and Omicron variants, on December 27, 2021 the French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced an adaptation of the health measures in place. These announcements were completed by a note from the General Directorate of Higher Education on December 29, 2021, which specifies the aspects concerning higher education and research.

Following this information, Sorbonne University has updated a certain number of the provisions put in place at the beginning of the academic year in September 2021.

1 - General conditions for activities

1.1 - General principles

As of January 3rd, for a minimum of 3 weeks, our activities will adopt the following specific provisions:

• Generalized wearing of masks, indoors and outdoors, on all sites and campuses.
• Extension to three (3) mandatory days of remote work for staff whose functions allow it and subject to service requirements.
• Continued in-person teaching.
• Organization of fully remote faculty and university meetings.
• Prohibition of social events.

1.2 - Face-to-face and distance learning activities

1.2.1 - For all staff

Staff whose duties allow them to work remotely are required to do so, in agreement with their manager, at least three (3) days a week and up to four (4) days when possible, to take into account specific situations (distance or vulnerable staff).

Temporary authorizations will be established for the personnel working remotely, whether or not they have a working-from-home agreement. These provisions are extended to all staff and structures, whether they are from Sorbonne University or hosted at the university.

Naturally, colleagues whose missions cannot be performed remotely (e.g. animal housing, reception of the public or provision of premises) or whose continuity on site is necessary (e.g. Covid research, care giving, security or maintenance of premises) are exempted from this home office obligation.

For staff who have to work in person, heads of department and heads of structures are invited to facilitate the adjustment of schedules, subject to service requirements, to stagger arrivals and departures in order to avoid public transport congestion (see § 2.1).

1.2.2 - Teaching activities

Teaching will continue to take place in the classroom in strict compliance with the health provisions defined at the beginning of the 2021 academic year.
Student evaluations are maintained under the conditions provided by the terms of knowledge assessment based on classwork (MCC) voted by the CFVU. voted by the CFVU. Exams can still be organized in person in accordance with the health protocol defined by the ministry (MESRI) in November 2021.

Students who are "confirmed cases" or who have been placed in isolation are not required to attend in-person examination sessions. On the other hand, (see § 2.3, "contact cases") students with a complete vaccination record may sit for exams in-person. For students in isolation, alternative testing methods will be proposed by January 24. Particular attention will be paid to the situation of students enrolled in a diploma year (the last year of a bachelor’s program or the last year of a master’s). 

Second semester internships, whether they take place within Sorbonne University or outside, are maintained, provided that the conditions for hosting interns respect the particular health measures applicable in the context of the COVID health crisis. In order to facilitate procedures, internship agreements can be signed remotely, if necessary, via scanned signatures.

1.2.3 - Research activities

The activity of Sorbonne University's research units will be continued using, as much as possible, three-day remote work. Face-to-face research activities will be limited, as much as possible, to experimental or research activities related to the pandemic that could not be postponed, in particular those concerning doctoral and post-doctoral candidates.

This provision will be implemented in compliance with health, safety and risk prevention rules, after verification of the feasibility of good conditions (equipment maintenance, supply of PPE, products, etc.).

The organization of thesis or HDR defenses may be pursued in hybrid mode, mixing in-person and distance learning, according to the terms and conditions set by the decree of March 20, 2021.

Sorbonne University libraries will be open according to the usual methods. In this respect, the remote work of the staff can only be implemented subject to the continuity of the service and the proper functioning of the libraries.

1.2.4 - Administrative activities

The reception, in the services usually open to the public, will be maintained by appointment to ensure that a physical reception is organized.

Provisions to facilitate the authorization of acts binding the institution when it is impossible to proceed with a physical signature will be included in a new order.

1.3 - International travel

In order to fight against the epidemic circulation linked to Covid-19, new travel rules came into effect on December 4, 2021.

Any person aged 12 years and over entering French territory must present a negative PCR or antigenic test less than 24 hours or 48 hours old depending on the country of origin. The only exception is for people with a complete vaccination schedule who do not have to present a test when they arrive from a European Union member state; Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland.

In addition, in response to the spread of the Omicron variant, the classification of countries, defined on the basis of health indicators, has evolved, with the addition of a "scarlet red" country classification.

In addition, incoming and outgoing student mobility is governed by the provisions of the ministry (MESRI) circulars of December 4 and 16, 2021.

In this context, Sorbonne University adopts the following provisions:

1.4 - Sports activities outside the curriculum

Sports activities are maintained, with the sports practice carried out in accordance with the protocols established by each sports federation.

1.5 - Events open to the public

• Gatherings of people, students or staff, in open and closed spaces, unorganized, outside the situations described below, are prohibited. The organization of meetings will be done remotely, by audio and video-conference.
• Meetings, colloquia, seminars and scientific or cultural events may be organized on campus in accordance with the following provisions:
• Verification of the sanitary pass for events that welcome external participants;
• Separate entrance and exit;
• The provision of a hand hygiene solution (HDM) to participants;
• Information at the entrance reminding the participants of barrier measures.
• Social events associated with these activities, or organized by the facilities for other occasions (greetings, galette des rois, thesis party, farewell party, etc.) are prohibited (see § 2.1).

Museums and exhibition spaces may open in compliance with the following provisions:

• Verification of the health pass;
• A distinction between entry and exit flows;
• The provision of a hand hygiene solution (HDM) to participants;
• An information at the entrance reminding the participants of the barrier gestures.

1.6 - Catering

The CROUS of Paris, Sorbonne University's main partner, maintains its catering activity, supplemented by a takeaway service: subsidized for staff and at €1 for students.
In addition to the administrative and student catering offer, it is possible for students and staff  to have meals:

• At their workstations: in line with the establishment's internal regulations and only if the proper conditions for removing masks are met; staff must ensure that they do not leave any garbage or traces of their meals on the work surfaces and that they dispose of packaging and leftovers in the dedicated receptacle.
• In convivial rooms: alone only. It is no longer possible to have lunch in a group;
• In outdoor areas (e.g.: forecourts, patios, lawns, etc.): with respect to social distancing and as soon as waste collection and cleaning are organized.

2 - Health protection

2.1 - Health measures

Health measures are based on the following rules:

1 - Barrier measures, to be adopted by everyone, everywhere and at all times:

• Wash your hands
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow
• Use a single-use handkerchief/tissue
• Wear a disposable or washable mask
• Stay away from others and limit contact
• Ventilate each room

2 - Reinforced measures applicable in the workplace for staff and students:

• The wearing of masks, mandatory for everyone indoors and outdoors,
• The physical distance, which must enable any individual to be at least 1 meter away from any other individual whenever possible;
• Hand hygiene, either by washing hands with soap and water or by hydro-alcoholic friction;
• Flow management, which must limit the risks of crowding, crossing and concentration of the public;
• Daily cleaning of surfaces frequently touched by hands;
• Ventilation of premises that enable 10' per hour or adaptation of the flow rate of ventilation/air conditioning systems;
• The organization of an adjusted time of departure and arrival in order to limit the mixing of people in public transport and in the workplace;
• The organization of meetings by audio or video conference whenever possible;
• The prohibition of in-person socializing in the workplace.

2.2 - Measuring CO2 levels

The opinion of the High Council of Public Health (HCSP), of April 28, 2021, on the adaptation of measures for ventilation, aeration and measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) in establishments open to the public invites to:

• Develop an environmental strategy to control air quality through the ventilation of the premises of each public building: regular ventilation of the premises, systematic of the teaching premises in the inter-courses, decrease of the percentage of people admitted if the ventilation is insufficient, verification of the conformity of the equipment and their maintenance;
• Measuring the quality of air renewal, which can be assessed by measuring the concentration of CO2 (CO2 is considered a tracer of air renewal in a room).

Sorbonne University has adopted a protocol of "CO2 measurement", which is:

• The closing of non-ventilated premises,
• The verification of the air renewal and treatment installations of the buildings by bringing in new outside air which allows diluting and extracting the aerosols potentially contaminated by the SARS-Cov-2 virus;
• Regular measurement of the CO2 level in heavily frequented premises. If the recommended threshold is exceeded, corrective measures are taken and control measures are carried out to verify their effectiveness. A regular report is made and communicated to staff representatives sitting on the CHSCT.

2.3 - Vaccination - Self-tests

The vaccination strategy against COVID 19 remains the best tool for preventing and fighting the pandemic. It protects against complications and the occurrence of severe forms of the disease.

The timeframe for the booster dose is reduced to three months after the last injection or infection with Covid-19. As of January 15, 2022, the full vaccination schedule will be three doses for all persons 18 years and older. Staff and students should be facilitated in completing the booster dose to achieve the full vaccination doses, including enabling time off work to do so.

Self-tests for the detection of Sars-Cov-2 on nasal samples constitute a diagnostic possibility to accompany the reception of staff and students on site in the best public health conditions.

Since May 2021, Sorbonne University has been distributing kits of 5 self-tests to all its users on campus. It will continue this action by adapting to user demand and attendance.

2.4 - Taking into account the public health situation

The strategy to fight the Covid-19 epidemic is based first and foremost on vaccination and the respect of barrier measures which must be scrupulously respected on campus, including outdoors in Paris (wearing a mask, washing hands, distancing oneself, etc.). Staff members are encouraged to get vaccinated and get their booster shots to ensure complete vaccination coverage. Available slots in vaccination centers can be accessed via the sante.fr website.

When a staff member tests positive or is identified as a "contact case", a new protocol defines the duration of isolation and the tests to be performed until the staff member returns to work. It is as follows and applies regardless of the contaminating variant:

Effective protective measures include:

• Physical separation of the contact person from the confirmed or probable case by creating two spaces without communication (glass, Hygiaphone®);
• Asurgical mask or a FFP2 mask, or a "general public" mask with a filtration rate higher than 90% (corresponding to category 1 (Afnor)), worn by the confirmed or probable case AND the contact person.

A "contact case" a person who has been in contact with a Covid-19 positive person without effective protective measures. That is:

• Having had direct contact with the Covid-19 positive (or probable positive) person, face-to-face, within 2 meters, regardless of duration (example: conversation, eating, physical contact);
• Giving or receiving hygiene or care to the Covid-19 positive (or probably positive) person;
• Having shared an indoor space (office or meeting room, personal vehicle, dining room, etc.) for at least 15 consecutive or cumulative minutes over 24 hours with the positive (or likely positive) individual or having been face-to-face with the individual during multiple coughing or sneezing episodes.

To qualify their administrative position, "confirmed cases":

• Staff must provide a work stoppage issued by an attending physician or ameli.fr;
• Students must provide a statement on their honour.

Staff identified as "contact cases" will be placed on special leave of absence (ASA), if their activity cannot be teleworked when their vaccination schedule is not complete or, if their activity can be teleworked when their dependent schoolchild is a confirmed case, after providing the notice sent to them by the Health Insurance or, failing that, a statement of honor.