New master plan: Free tests till the end of October

ETH Zurich Executive Board has decided to continue operating the two antigen test centres in the Main Building and on Hönggerberg campus at least till the end of October. The university will pay test costs up to the end of October if they are not covered by the government. ETH will also cover test costs till the end of October for members located outside Zurich, including sites in Basel and Lugano.

Subsidiary coverage of test costs

Last Friday the government announced it would only cover the costs for rapid antigen tests until 10 October, or up to the end of November for persons who have had their first Covid jab. In addition, these tests would only be free thereafter for people with vaccine intolerance, validated by a doctor’s certificate. The CovMass programme based on the PCR saliva test is not affected by the new government rules. The cost of these tests will still be covered.

The university’s decision to offer subsidiary coverage of test costs up to the end of October is included in the new version of the master plan, along with the other changes already announced on 17 September.

Certificate checks for teaching events

The master plan sets out the procedure for checking Covid certificates, which have been hotly debated recently. Staff and students without a COVID certificate or proof or vaccination or internal ETH test will not be admitted to any in-person teaching event.

Centrally coordinated external stewards will monitor compliance through regular and systematic checks on certificates combined with a valid personal ID (or ETH card). In smaller teaching events and lab practicals, lecturers and their team are expected to check certificates as best they can. This applies especially to exercises, where teaching/research assistants are called upon to check certificates. Teaching events not held on campus (excursions, field trips, etc.) must be thoroughly controlled by lecturers or their staff.

The procedure for introducing mandatory certificates described here has been approved by the Canton of Zurich’s Health Department.

Compulsory face masks and good ventilation

Apart from the certificate requirement, the general obligation to wear a face mask and various technical measures help to ensure a safe environment for teaching. For example, all air conditioning units will run on full power in lecture halls and only use fresh air from outside.

Further information

Current master plan on the ETH Corona website

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