Following information is provided by the World Health Organization:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. 

In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. 

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. COVID-19 is still affecting mostly people in China with some outbreaks in other countries. Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:

• Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

• Maintain social distancing

Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

• Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

• Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider

Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

ONLINE TEACHING, MID-TERM EXAMS, DORMITORY CHECKOUT, AND OTHER MATTERS.

Dear NU Students,

We have been developing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the NU community, and we want to assure you that our instructions to you are fully in line with the Government’s decisions.

These are the instructions we are putting into place to ensure your health and well-being and minimize virus-related risks to our community. We ask all of you to abide by them; non-compliance with these instructions will lead to disciplinary action.

1. In-person classes are cancelled, starting from March 16.
2. Mid-term exams initially scheduled for next week will be postponed to after April 6.
3. This year, Nauryz/Spring Break will be from March 20 to April 5.
4. Students must leave campus as soon as possible, and no later than March 21st. Student IDs will be blocked from March 22 onwards.
5. The dorms will be vacated for deep cleaning and disinfection; students will store their belongings as instructed by DSA.
6. Upon end of the Nauryz/Spring break, students will continue studies from home until further notice.
7. Regular online courses will begin April 6.
8. Students will be eligible for dormitory and other refunds on a pro-rata basis.
9. Student stipends and allowances (including for research) will continue as usual.
10. Starting from March 14, events on campus that are scheduled to bring together more than 80 people are banned.
11. Visitors, including friends, are not permitted access to campus starting March 14.
12. On-campus medical facilities will remain open upon appointment that will trigger access at the entry gates.

For your information, NU faculty and staff will continue to work on campus, but a number of options including work-from-home are being elaborated.

Below are some more details on class delivery and check-out from dorms.

Class delivery

1. In person classes are cancelled, starting from March 16.
2. We are moving to online delivery of classes.
3. Your Vice Deans of Academic Affairs will follow up with more details on the mode of delivery.
4. Regular online classes begin on April 6.
5. Mid-term tests scheduled for next week will be rescheduled.

Dormitory check-out

1. 1. Deadline for check-out. 
   2. Students must leave campus as soon as possible, but no later than 21st March. 
   3. Students whose families are Nur-Sultan residents must vacate their dorms by 18th March.
   4. Student IDs will be blocked from 22nd March.
   5. Dormitory and other refunds: Students will be eligible for a refund (prorated for the period from check-out until the end of the semester). Modalities will be communicated.
   6. Categories of students eligible to stay on campus until further notice:– International students;-Students with no parents or guardians;-PhD students and second year and Masters students who are engaged in laboratory based research.
   7. NUSOM Residents and 3rd year Clinical Clerkship students will be moved to alternative accommodation.

Dormitory regulations

1. Because we will undertake a deep clean of the dormitories and other facilities, take all of your personal belongings or store when you leave, as you would in the summer.  You must follow further DSA instructions.
2. Please take all of your learning materials and valuables with you as classes will be online.
3. For international students and those who have permission to stay on campus, Department of Student Affairs will work with you to make arrangements for your housing during this time. 

If you choose to stay in Nur-Sultan for non-academic reasons, such as off-campus work commitments, you will be responsible for making your own accommodation arrangements.

Please keep up-to-date on the situation within Kazakhstan and Government regulations,.

Please frequently check the following website for updates:

https://beta.egov.kz/memleket/entities/kkkbtu?lang=en and continue to observe health messages from our Health and Safety Department.  

Thank you for helping us to create a healthy environment.

Best regards and stay safe,

President Shigeo Katsu

Provost Ilesanmi Adesida

UPDATES: CAMPUS PROTECTION AGAINST COVID-19, WORK-FROM-HOME. AND OTHER MATTERS AFFECTING ON-CAMPUS RESIDENTS

Dear NU Faculty and Staff,

these are trying times as we have never experienced this type of acute and unpredictable crisis on such a global scale. Let’s pull together as a real Community and be considerate to each other.

Our Health and Safety Department will send out more information on the state of emergency and as usual follow up with regular updates.

Please do frequently check the following website: https://beta.egov.kz/memleket/entities/kkkbtu?lang=en 

Status of Coronavirus on Campus

1. To date, no-one from the NU community has tested positive for coronavirus.
2. Two NU faculty have been placed in the Government’s quarantine hospital outside of Nur-Sultan City as a precautionary measure because they shared a flight with passengers who tested positive for coronavirus.
3. According to globally applied Ministry of Health regulations on dealing with the coronavirus, the medical escort team must wear HAZMAT suits as a precaution when escorting people to hospital quarantine.
4. So, if you see teams wearing HAZMAT suits on campus, do not be alarmed.
5. We are of course monitoring the status of our colleagues and await the result of the tests.
6. There is no need to test faculty and staff for the virus nor to be quarantined unless test results turn out positive. Please also note that the likelihood of virus transmission in mid-air is negligible as all modern aircraft have advanced air circulation systems (more than 20 times per hour) that filter out all viruses and bacteria.
7. If you would like to have your health status monitored on a regular basis, please contact the Department of Health and Safety with cc to the Vice President NU Medicine.
8. Management is arranging, through the NU School of Medicine, for senior medical students to volunteer their support to faculty and staff – both to those in quarantine by liaising with medical services, as well as for health status monitoring.
9. All buildings including residential blocks and public spaces on campus are already being cleaned more thoroughly and with more potent cleaning agents.
10. On-campus medical facilities will remain open.

Working from home and sundry arrangements for campus residents

12. We will implement a work-from-home policy for staff and faculty until further notice:
13. Starting Monday 16 March, the campus will operate on a skeleton staff.
14. Faculty should work from home until further notice.
15. For staff, your Department Directors (“Block C2”) and Executive Director (Schools) will work with you to clarify work-from-home arrangements.
16. A rotating two-week work-from-home schedule will be the baseline.
17. Department Directors and Executive Directors will clarify the skeleton staff.

                                       iii.    Further details will be available ASAP.

1. The submission deadline of grades to the Office of the Registrar for the current semester remains the same: May 12.
2. IT colleagues are making arrangements for remote access to virtual desktops and to specific software. More details will be available soon.
3. The Sports Center and kindergartens will close until further notice.
4. Some campus catering outlets and supermarkets will remain open. Details to follow.

Updates on students

1. Most students will leave campus.
2. NU is working on ways to provide devices and access to learning resources for students who do not have ready access to the internet.
3. ll classes will move online on April 6.

Contacts for further information

4. Who to contact for additional information:
5. For information about work-from-home arrangements:
6. Contact your Department Director (Administration and Finance staff), Executive Director (for staff in Schools), or your Dean (for faculty)
7. For information about online teaching and online assessment:
8. Contact your Vice Dean for Academic Affairs.
9. For information about access to research laboratories and library facilities:
10. Contact your embedded librarian, or your Dean or Vice Dean for Research
11. For updates on health messages from the Ministry of Health, see this website: https://beta.egov.kz/memleket/entities/kkkbtu?lang=en
12. For access to campus medical services, contact the campus health centre directly.
13. Please do not use the President’s email or contact details as default; your Deans, Vice Deans and Executive Directors will have School-specific answers.

Many thanks and stay well.

President Shigeo Katsu

Provost Ilesanmi Adesida