UK Centres Covid-19 Information

From the 18^th of March the UK government are removing all remaining COVID-19 international travel restrictions.

If you arrive in the UK after Friday the 18^th of March 2022, you will not need to:

• Take any COVID-19 test before arriving in the UK or after arrival
• Fill in a UK passenger locator form

For the most up-to-date information and updates on COVID-19, visit the government website.

The UK Government has announced their plan for living with COVID-19. This plan seeks to remove all remaining legal restrictions surrounding COVID-19.

From the 24th of February:

• People who test positive for COVID-19 are no longer legally required to self-isolate.
• People will still be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days.

From the 1st of April:

• Free mass symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public will end, and will instead be targeted towards the most vulnerable.
• People with COVID-19 symptoms will be asked to exervise personal responsibility when deciding whether to stay at home - until then they are still advised to do so.
• Current government guidance on COVID-19 passports will end and it will no longer be recommended that venues use the NHS COVID-19 pass.

Although England is at a very safe moment in the COVID-19 pandemic and despite the Government moving to lift all restrictions by April, our centres are continuing to maintain high cleanliness and safety measures to keep students as safe as possible.

We are still encouraging our students to wear face masks whilst in ONCAMPUS centres and university buildings and to continue washing their hands whenever necessary.

Our centres are ready to welcome students to England to begin Face-to-Face teaching as soon as possible.

For the most up-to-date information and updates on COVID-19, visit the government website.

Updates on testing before your arrival in the UK from abroad

If you qualify as fully vaccinated, before you travel to the UK you must:

• Book and pay for a COVID-19 test – to be taken within 2 days after arriving in the UK, if your test result is positive, you must self-isolate
• Complete a passenger locator form – to be completed within 48 hours before arriving in the UK

If you are not fully vaccinated

Before you travel to the UK you must:

• Take a COVID-19 test – to be taken within 2 days before arriving in the UK
• Book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 PCR tests – to be taken after arriving in the UK
• Complete a passenger locator form – to be completed within 48 hours before arriving in the UK

For the most up-to-date information and updates on COVID-19 and travelling to the UK, visit the government website.

In England, from the 15^th of December the UK government has introduced the following restrictions to help slow the spread of the Omicron variant:

• You must wear a face covering in most indoor public places, at large venues and events, and on public transport.
• Fully vaccinated contacts of someone with COVID-19 should take rapid lateral flow tests every day for 7 days. If you test positive or develop symptoms, you need to self-isolate for 10 days.
• At nightclubs, some venues and large events you’ll need to show your NHS COVID Pass to show you’re fully vaccinated, have had a negative test result in the last 48 hours, or that you have an exemption.

As of the 15^th of December 2021, all 11 countries were removed from the travel red list.

For the most up-to-date information and updates on COVID-19 and travelling to the UK, visit the government website.

In England, the following temporary measures have been put in place to respond to the Omicron variant and slow its arrival and spread. Please see below the most recent updates:

• All people aged 12 years and over must take a PCR or lateral flow test before travelling to the UK from abroad. The test must be taken in the 2 days before travelling to the UK.
• International arrivals who are fully vaccinated from non-red list countries will need to isolate at home and take a PCR test on or before day 2 following your arrival in the UK. You are only permitted to leave isolation if the result of your PCR test is negative. If the PCR test result is positive, you will need to isolate for 10 days.
• Face coverings are a legal requirement in shops and on public transport.
• Those who have been in contact with an individual who may have been infected with the Omicron variant will need to self-isolate. This applies even if you are fully vaccinated or aged 18 and under.

Red list as of the 7^th of December 2021:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nigeria
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

For the most up-to-date information and updates on COVID-19 and travelling to the UK, visit the government website.

Following the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the UK government has introduced new temporary and precautionary measures:

• All international arrivals must take a PCR test before the end of day 2 and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.
• All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of their vaccination status. They will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
• Face coverings will be made compulsory in shops and on public transport from next week. All hospitality settings will be exempt.

Rules for travelling to England from a red list country:

Before you travel to England you must:

• Take a COVID-19 test – must be taken in the 3 days before travelling to England
• Book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
• Complete a passenger locator form

You must do this even if you are fully vaccinated.

Read more about taking a COVID-19 test before you travel to England.

When you arrive in England you must quarantine in a managed hotel and take 2 COVID-19 tests.

Red list as of the 29^th of November 2021:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

For more information and updates on COVID-19 and travelling to the UK, visit the government website.

From 4am Monday 11^th October, there will be an update to the red list; only these 7 countries remain in the red list after these changes:

• Colombia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Haiti
• Panama
• Peru
• Venezuela

If you’re travelling from one of these countries or territories, you need to follow the below rules on travelling to the UK

Before you travel to England from a red list country you must:

• Take a COVID-19 test – take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England
• Book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
• Complete a passenger locator form

You must do this even if you are fully vaccinated

When you arrive in England you must:

• Quarantine in a managed hotel
• Take 2 COVID-19 tests on day 2 and day 8

From 4am on Monday the 4th October, the red, amber, green traffic light system will change in the UK. There will only be a red list, and for travellers coming from countries not on the red list there will be fewer travel restrictions. 

If you are travelling to England from a red list country, you must:

• Take a pre-departure COVID-19 test within three days prior of arriving in the UK
• Quarantine in a managed hotel for 10 days and take two COVID-19 tests on day 2 and day 8
• Complete a passenger locator form within 48 hours before arrival in the UK

If you’re travelling from a country not on the red list, what you need to do depends on whether you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19 under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US or UK vaccine programme overseas.

If you're fully vaccinated, you must:

• Take a COVID-19 test on or before your second day arriving in the UK
• Complete a passenger locator form within 48 hours before arrival in the UK

If you're not fully vaccinated under an approved vaccination programme, you must:

• Take a pre-departure COVID-19 test within three days prior to arriving in the UK 
• Take a COVID-19 test on day 2 and day 8 after your arrival
• Complete a passenger locator form within 48 hours before arrival in the UK
• Quarantine at your accommodation for 10 days

From 4am Monday 4th October, you will qualify as fully vaccinated if you are vaccinated either:

• under an approved vaccination programme in the UK, Europe, USA or UK vaccine programme overseas
• with a full course of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Formulations of the 4 listed vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda, qualify as approved vaccines.

You must have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England.

Please visit the government website for further guidance on travelling to the UK.

From the end of July, the following restrictions have been lifted:

• The 2-meter social distancing rule
• You can meet with any number of people indoors and outdoors
• You don't have to work from home, you can go back to working from your usual place of work
• You don't have to wear a face mask
• Any number of people can go to a place of worship

From the 16th of August, you won't have to self-isolate if:

• You have been fully vaccinated and are a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
• You are under 18 years old and travel to the UK from countries on the green list

If the test says that you do have COVID-19, you will have to self-isolate.

All travel restrictions remain the same from the previous update in July, please see the July update below.

New rules for amber list countries from Monday 19th July

From Monday 19th July there will be no requirement to quarantine on arrival in England or take a day 8 COVID-19 test from amber list countries and territories, as long as you:

• Have been fully vaccinated under the UK vaccination programme, AND
• Have not been in a red list country in the 10 days before you arrive in England

Fully vaccinated means that you have had your final dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before the date you arrive in England.

You will need to:

• Declare that you have been fully vaccinated on your passenger locator form
• Show proof of your vaccination status to your carrier (ferry, airline or train) when you travel.

Read about the NHS COVID Pass to show proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status.

If you are not fully vaccinated under the UK vaccination programme, you will have to quarantine on arrival and take both the day 2 and day 8 tests. The UK government is already exploring plans to remove quarantine for vaccinated non-UK residents arriving from amber countries later this summer where it is safe to do so.

No changes from red and green countries

There will be no changes to requirements for those returning from green or red list countries - even if you are fully vaccinated. Nor are there any changes for unvaccinated passengers travelling from amber countries who do not have a valid exemption.

Remember that if you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish National, or if you have residence rights in the UK. You must follow these rules even if you have been fully vaccinated.

ONCAMPUS #ByYourSide: Travel support package

As part of ONCAMPUS' ongoing commitment to support all of our students through this challenging time, ONCAMPUS will support your travel and mandatory hotel quarantine with £1,000 contribution for students arriving from red list countries. Find more details at our #ByYourSide dedicated page.

New and returning students travelling from overseas

The UK Government advice is that in-person teaching for all university students can resume from 17 May, as we outlined in our previous update.

Arrival procedure

For students travelling to the UK from overseas from 17 May at the earliest, there will be different restrictions applied to students arriving from overseas (known as the ‘traffic light system’) depending on level of risk. Risk will be based on factors such as the level of community transmission, variants of concern, levels of testing, genomic sequencing and reporting.

Countries will be sorted into three categories

• Red list countries: High-risk countries 
• Amber list countries: Moderate-risk countries
• Green list countries: Low-risk countries

Students will need to comply with the following measures, depending on which country they have departed from/travelled through in the preceding 10 days:

Students should refer to the latest information on country risk levels before travelling.

Before arriving in the UK, all students should:

• Check the very latest information on entering the UK 
• Inform their provider when they intend to arrive on campus so that they can be appropriately supported
• Check the arrivals procedure for the country that they are travelling from/through, and whether that country is on the red, amber or green list
• Ensure that, prior to departing for England, they have proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within three days of departure - more information on pre-departure testing is available
• Book and pay for a travel test package which will include COVID-19 tests to be taken on or before day 2 and – in some instances - on or after day 8. More information about quarantine testing is available
• Complete a passenger locator form upon arrival
• Check whether the country they are travelling from is a ‘red list’ country, meaning they will need to complete their quarantine in a managed quarantine hotel. These students should see the guidance for students who have been in, or transited through, a 'red list’ country (see below) in the last 10 days
• While travelling, remember to follow the safer travel guidelines and plan ahead to avoid busy times
• Speak to their travel insurer

For further guidance around red, amber and green countries, please visit the government update.

We know that global travel remains uncertain and that many families and students are considering both face to face and online options for their future study plans.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched ONCAMPUS Online, which was developed with colleagues from award-winning CEG Digital, to offer students the flexibility and opportunity to continue their studies uninterrupted.

However, we remain committed to our aim of restoring face-to-face teaching in our centres as the priority and as soon as it is safe to do so. We can’t wait to welcome students back to our ONCAMPUS centres.

We expect, in line with government guidelines, that a full face to face return to campus will be safe and possible, and we therefore encourage you to plan your travel accordingly.

If it is not feasible for you to travel to the UK or EU to start your programme, for most courses, you will be able to continue to study your first term online, with the expectation that you can join us on campus as soon as the situation allows. Should there be continued global travel disruption, we are committed to reviewing our online provision regularly.

The UK government has recently announced their plans for Universities and the Higher Education sector, setting out the return to face to face tuition.

Whilst we had hoped this would be sooner, face to face tuition will commence on 17^th May 2021 at the earliest. However, we are committed to supporting students who have been living in their term time accommodation so your ONCAMPUS centres will be open for support and guidance.

The information below outlines what is open until 17^th May 2021 and provides information on testing prior to any return to centre.

What does this mean for you?

Whilst we are unable to commence face to face tuition, ONCAMPUS centres will be open in a COVID-safe way for students that are in the UK and wish to meet staff on an appointment basis or would like the opportunity to book a quiet study space in preparation for your exams. Please contact your centre for more information.

All students are encouraged to take three COVID-19 tests before they return to centre, either through your local community testing programme or by ordering a test online. You can also order tests through the NHS 119 testing hotline number. You will also be able to attend the asymptomatic testing sites located on our University campuses, please contact your centre for more information.

What happens if I test positive?

Following a positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test result, students and staff should self-isolate immediately and take a follow-up polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test as soon as possible. If a student or staff member takes a PCR test within 2 days of the LFD test and receives a negative result, they and their household can stop self-isolating. Students who receive a positive PCR test are required to self-isolate immediately on the day of the test and for at least the following ten full days along with their household contacts.  Students that receive a positive LFD test and do not access a PCR test should also isolate for 10 days.

Why is testing important?

• About 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 do not have any symptoms. LFD tests can detect the virus in people without symptoms and prevent them unknowingly passing it on to others.
• By identifying more people with the virus we can better mitigate the transmission of Covid-19 which will help protect your friends and lecturers, and will allow your university experience to improve more quickly and your education to continue uninterrupted.
• Lots of people taking LFD tests allows us to detect positive cases, take quick action to prevent the spread of coronavirus and break chains of transmission.

Please check for further advice on travelling to and from your centre.

On Monday 22^nd February, the UK government announced plans for easing England out of the current lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19.

The new four stage plan sees the UK start to open up from March 8^th, and the hope is that all legal restrictions in the UK will be lifted by the end of June provided that strict conditions are met at every stage. The exciting news is that the UK is slowly but surely opening up again. The UK national vaccine programme is proving extremely successful and it won’t be long now until we can welcome students back to ONCAMPUS centres.

We are pleased to confirm that from April 12^th at the earliest our UK ONCAMPUS centres are planning to welcome students back for some face-to-face learning, where possible, in line with COVID-19 safety protocols. Please note that it is likely that some online learning will still be required for Term 3 and we will continue to follow UK government guidelines.

It has remained our priority to restore face-to-face teaching as soon as it is safe to do so, therefore, we are planning to offer as much face-to-face teaching from June as possible in our UK ONCAMPUS centres. We will continue to monitor government guidelines and will be updating our advice as the situation evolves. Students who are able to travel to the UK safely can arrive in their accommodation from March 8^th where they will be fully supported by our staff in centre. Your current teaching remains unaffected, and we will continue to communicate further updates over the coming weeks. For more details about the latest UK travel and quarantine advice, please visit the government update.

All UK travel corridors temporarily suspended to protect against new international variants

The UK government has announced new measures to take effect from Monday 18 January at 4am (GMT):

• all travel corridors with the UK will be suspended at least until 15th February 2021
• this means that all international arrivals to the UK from any country (including British and Irish Nationals) must now take a pre-departure test and self-isolate for 10 days
• passengers must continue to fill in a Passenger Locator Form and have a negative test before travelling to the UK or could face a £500 fine for each

For more details please visit the government update. Don't forget, you can still start your programme online from your home country with ONCAMPUS Online.

For the latest up-to-date news, please regularly check the UK Government Coronavirus website

International arrivals required to show negative COVID-19 test result before departure for England

Under this new national lockdown, on 11th January 2021 new travel measures have been introduced:

We want to reassure you that our January term will begin as scheduled, although teaching will be online. All the information announced in our previous update (31st December 2020) remains in place but we do not expect face-to-face teaching to resume in our UK ONCAMPUS centres until mid-February 2021, at the earliest or until new government advice is issued. Please read below for more information:

Access to Support

• Our centres remain open and you will still be able to access the same comprehensive academic and pastoral support online as you would face to face. You will have lectures, seminars and tutor time all provided within your timetable. Your ONCAMPUS centre staff will also be able to provide you with information on how to access supplies and support, including medical support should you need it.

Visa

• Every student visa situation is unique based on individual circumstances. Please contact your ONCAMPUS centre who will gather more details about your travel plans and provide you with the best advice.

Accommodation

• ONCAMPUS accommodation remains open, safe and available for all students.

Covid-19 Testing

• At this time, the UK government is advising that testing will be available to all University students upon their return to campus. Your centres will keep you informed of any testing requirements and will provide you with details of how you can book and arrange a test when face to face teaching becomes possible again.

For the latest up-to-date news, please regularly check the UK Government Coronavirus website

Following rising cases of COVID-19 across the UK, the UK government is working to manage the return of students to education settings after the Christmas break. We want to reassure students that ONCAMPUS centres remain open to support our students, but your study plans will be moved online for as long as necessary. We are here to support you, whether you are already studying in the UK, or are studying from your home country online. Our January term will begin as scheduled although teaching will be online and we do not expect face-to-face teaching to resume at ONCAMPUS centres until mid-February, at the earliest, or until new government advice.

We understand that you may have questions around your study and travel plans, your visa and the COVID situation in the UK more generally. We are working to provide you with answers, and more detailed information will follow from Monday 4^th January. In the meantime, please see below for some important information.

Planning to travel to the UK?

• If you are in your home country but planning to travel to the UK, and if it is possible for you to do so, you should consider delaying your plans to travel to the UK. You can start your studies online from your home country as long as it's required and your progression is unaffected.
• If you are already in transit or plan to be imminently, our centres are open and we will support you fully as you arrive in the UK, travel to the ONCAMPUS centre and begin your online learning until face to face teaching resumes. If you are travelling from one of the countries NOT on the UK government travel corridor list, then you will still have to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival in the UK unless you opt to pay for a COVID-19 test.

Already in the UK?

• If you are already in the UK, your ONCAMPUS centre will be in contact with you shortly to provide you with updated information and support concerning your enrolment and teaching, which will be online until at least mid-February 2021.
• The UK government advice is currently to remain in the UK and to minimise travel.

For the latest up-to-date news, please regularly check the UK Government Coronavirus website

The online content is the same as the content that you would receive face to face and it prepares you for success in your intended degree programme. It will be delivered both through online hosted activities such as guided reading and group project work as well as live lectures, seminars and tutorials with our experienced tutors.

All UK centres: if students are currently studying at ONCAMPUS and decide to leave, then our normal Terms and Conditions will apply. Please find a link to the Terms and Conditions here.

Illinois Tech: if a student decides not to return to the campus after Spring break and they have on-campus housing, they’ll need to fill out a form on the housing website so IIT can assess if a housing or meal plan refund is due. For tuition, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.

ONCAMPUS Boston: for Room and Board we are awaiting an announcement from Curry on any refunds for any forfeited services and we will update all parties accordingly. For tuition, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.

All UK centres: We are delivering our education curriculum online with ONCAMPUS Online and all students are able to access lectures and study materials from either their accommodation in the UK or from their home country.

If students have chosen to return home for this break and are not then able to return to the UK, please get in touch with the centre immediately and please ensure that relevant Immigration guidelines are followed for both the UK and Europe. UKVI have confirmed that as long as students engage in their online learning, there will be no impact to their student visa, whether they study in the UK or in their home country.

Lectures can be accessed online according to the UK timetable at Greenwich Meantime hours but students will ONLY be able to attend if they continue to be a registered student with us, either in the UK/EU/US or in their home country.

Illinois Tech: all university classes will be online as of March 23rd and will continue to be online as long as needed.

ONCAMPUS Boston: all university classes will be online as of March 23rd and will continue to be online as long as needed. In addition, all student support, transfer, and advising activities will be delivered online via the Blackboard portal.

All UK/EU/US centres: we are committed to ensuring that students’ education and academic progression are not compromised by this extraordinary situation. We are working with our University partners to ensure that students’ academic records will not be adversely affected.

The current UK national advice is to stay at home for 14 days if you or your family members have either a high temperature or a new, continuous cough.

Visit GOV.UK for further information on the outbreak of coronavirus, including the current situation in the UK and information about the virus and its symptoms.

Please also see the following links for advice and information:

WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/novel-coronavirus-china

For Europe - You can find current guidance and updates here https://www.rivm.nl/en/news/current-information-about-novel-coronavirus-covid-19 And here https://www.uva.nl/en/current/coronavirus/coronavirus.html

For the USA : please CDC website. https://www.cdc.gov/

All UK centres: student accommodation closure is not anticipated, however, dependent on the choice of accommodation the provider may introduce some control measures. In the event of a closure ONCAMPUS will be committed to ensuring that students are taken care of, and that suitable alternatives are provided.

Illinois Tech: student housing will not close – this has been confirmed by IIT.

ONCAMPUS Boston: most of our students have selected to live off the campus during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As we have seen over the last few months leading to the commencement of the September and November intakes, local lockdown restrictions have been introduced by the  UK government to help control the transmission of the virus.  In a circumstance where a local lockdown is introduced, central guidance will be communicated to all students. In the event that students will need to undertake a period of lockdown in their accommodation, students will be able to continue their studies online, if necessary.

As we begin to open our places of study and work, we will be doing everything reasonable and practicable to ensure that we are COVID secure and that the health, safety and welfare of our staff and students is prioritised. CEG will be working in full cooperation with local authorities and in particular the Public Health England Local Protection Teams on a 3-stage plan:

• Identify
• Report
• Respond

Students should be encouraged to report self-isolation to centre staff if they are suffering symptoms of, or following a positive test for COVID-19. During the period of self-isolation, Centre staff will ensure that students are coping well and have access to food and hygiene products on a daily basis. Students will be given advice and instructions on how to contact the National Health Service, if this is necessary.