Thread by @syrpis

A quick thread on coronavirus restrictions and universities - which are, I was reminded, just 12 weeks away from welcoming students for the new academic year in September.

The postponement of 'freedom day' has a number of serious implications. 1/8

There was a lot of focus on 'double-jabbing' in order to slow the increase in transmission rates in yesterday's briefing.

Will UK-based school leavers be double-jabbed by September? 2/8

Will unis be able to responsible for ensuring that students have been vaccinated (and is there a link between that and the ability to run lectures of up to 500 students; or will those be online only)?

If so, will support be made available? 3/8

Or... is the expectation that students will be vaccinated before returning to Uni (and if so, can that be done)?

Or... perhaps, we start the term and see how it goes; a strategy which failed comprehensively this time last year. 4/8

In relation to international students, the situation is even more uncertain. Will they be able to enter the UK? Will there be quarantine requirements, and, if so, where will students be expected to quarantine and at whose expense? 5/8

To what extent will unis be expected to make provision for international students not able to enter the UK (eg via more blended learning), or will international student access to UK unis remain dependent on the vagaries of the listing system? 6/8

In the event that there are outbreaks of COVID in unis, will we be expected to rely on lateral flow tests, notwithstanding the increasing concern over their utility? 7/8

The Govt's lack of attention to the Uni sector has been all too obvious throughout the pandemic. There is still time to plan effectively for 2021 - and if we want to avoid another year of disruption, it is vital that the work begins now. 8/8