Disclaimer
As you will certainly understand, CERN cannot predict the spread of the virus or the evolution of event or travel restrictions, airline polices or flight/public transport cancellations. Your participation in the School is at your own risk and, in particular, CERN, AGH and IFJ are not responsible for any costs associated with early departure from or termination of the School, travel, quarantine, medical treatment or any other consequences resulting from being infected or a close contact during or in connection with participation in the School. Please ensure you have the necessary travel and medical insurance in place to cover your attendance.
This is a detailed COVID-19 prevention plan for the School, based on AGH, IFJ and Polish rules, and taking into account specific requirements of the School.
It’s important to note that the national or local rules might become more strict as the situation evolves; in which case the following School sanitary measures will be adapted accordingly.
Travel
It is participants' individual responsibility to ensure that they fulfil all the requirements to travel to Poland. Depending on the country of residence, participants may need to present a valid EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate, or equivalent - more details are available at https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus/travel.
Symptoms
Participants with COVID-19 symptoms (including fever, cough or respiratory problems) will be asked not to travel to Krakow, and will not be allowed to enter AGH and to attend the School.
COVID-19 negative test required upon arrival
Please note that at the registration on Sunday September 4th afternoon, School participants will be required to present a negative result of a PCR test (not older than 72 hours) or of an antigen test (not older than 48 hours) on paper or in electronic form. We strongly advise participants to take that test and obtain the result before travelling to Poland.
COVID-19 self-testing
COVID-19 self tests will be available on a voluntary basis to all participants. The goal is to reassure participants and personnel, as well as to identify any infected persons as quickly as possible.
In specific cases, taking a COVID-19 test and presenting a negative result may be required by the School organizers, by the hosting institute or by the local authorities.
Sanitary measures
During the School, we will all be required to follow standard COVID-19 sanitary measures that are in line with national and local recommendations.
For the safety of all participants and personnel at the School, an individual participant’s failure to comply with the required sanitary measures may result in their expulsion from the School.
- Physical distancing: The participants are encouraged to limit close-proximity contacts, especially if indoors and/or during prolonged periods.
- Masks: Wearing surgical masks (type 1, 2 or 2-R / EN 14683) or FFP2 / N95 masks will be strongly encouraged in the following situations:
- while queueing for the buffet meals, and getting the food/drinks;
- when discussing directly with the lecturers or other participants during the hands-on exercise sessions;
- in buses, taxis or other shared transport.
- In additional to these rules, the School organizers encourage wearing masks in all situations (other than meals) when participants interact in close proximity (less that 1.5 m), especially if indoors and/or during prolonged periods. Surgical masks will be made available.
- Hand hygiene (washing and disinfection): Hand sanitizers are available at various locations. Disinfecting hands will be strongly encouraged before taking food at the buffet-style meals, and in other occasions which require touching or handling share items. Finally, participants are recommended to wash their hands regularly.
Quarantine / medical isolation
We cannot exclude the possibility that, even with all the above measures in place, one, a group, or all participants and personnel attending the School may be required to quarantine or isolate, even if they are vaccinated.
In particular, a participant who is tested positive during the School, must self-isolate and cannot physically participate in School activities before obtain a negative test result. The School organizers will make efforts to allow following the classes remotely (i.e. via Zoom).
If allowed by the local epidemiological authorities, the affected person(s) can self-isolate or quarantine directly at the School accommodation (but only for the duration of the School – i.e. until Saturday September 17th morning). In that case, the cost of the accommodation and food (provided at the Novotel hotel: breakfasts and most of the dinners) for quarantining during the School is already covered by the participant’s registration fee. For participants accommodated in shared rooms, the organizers will make reasonable efforts to separate infected participants from non-infected ones, and will propose the affected persons to swap rooms accordingly.
However, any other costs of self-isolation or quarantine outside of the School accommodation, and/or after the end of the School, will be under the sole logistical and financial responsibility of the individual participant(s) concerned, and cannot be covered or arranged by the School organizers. This includes the cost of upgrading from a shared to a single room (if necessary), as well as meals (lunches and certain dinners) that are not provided to School participants at the Novotel hotel.
