* This policy will be reviewed as necessary at OCU Novel Coronavirus Emergency Task Force meetings.

28 February 2022
OCU Novel Coronavirus Emergency Task Force

※Changes from the previous editions
?"1. Implementing a ‘new’ lifestyle" has been updated
?"11. Countermeasures if there is a possibility of contact with someone with an infectious disease" has been updated

　Since October, Osaka City University has decided to resume various activities in a phased manner in order to both prevent infection and secure learning opportunities and is taking the necessary measures while keeping a close eye on the outbreak of the disease on campus and in the prefecture.

? ?Since January, infections with the Omicron strain has been spreading rapidly in Osaka Prefecture at an unprecedented rate and the number of infected people at our university has also been increasing rapidly, with multiple clusters being confirmed during extracurricular activities, events and dinners attended by students. Because of the expected shortage of hospital beds and the need to control this mountain of infections, on January 21, Osaka Prefecture, together with Hyogo and Kyoto Prefectures, requested the government to apply priority measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

　Students, faculty and staff are requested to be mindful of the points laid out in (1. Implementing a ‘new lifestyle’) and continue to implement them in their daily lives. Also to act carefully to prevent discrimination and prejudice from spreading, both to prevent infection and secure learning opportunities.

　In the event that an infected student or faculty member is confirmed, to prevent secondary or tertiary infections, we will promptly determine the extent to which activities on campus should be suspended, and take the necessary measures under the direction and advice of the public health center.

　In addition, it has become clear that the spread of infection can be prevented by wearing masks, avoiding the 3 Cs, and taking appropriate infection prevention measures such as proper ventilation and hand washing. Students, faculty, and staff will work together to ensure that we do not succumb to this corona disaster, and will review this policy as necessary so that we can regain a fulfilling student life and a safe life on campus as soon as possible.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to keep implementing a 'new lifestyle’ and continue to pay attention to preventing infections.?

(1) Basic measures for daily life to prevent infections.
√ Take your temperature every morning.
If your temperature is more than 37℃, refrain from going out. Instead, rest at home.?
√ Frequent hand-washing/disinfection with alcohol, gargling.
(Please refer to the attachment 1)
Wash your hands properly over 30 seconds.
Carry disinfectant liquid, etc. when going out. (Disinfectant liquid is available in the Safety and Health Management Office, located on the 1F, Student Support Center. Please bring your own bottle to get some.) Use throat disinfectant spray or swish some water or tea around your mouth and swallow if gargling is difficult."
√ Wear a mask and practice cough etiquette. (Please refer to the attachment 2.)
It is recommended to wear non-woven masks because they are highly effective in protecting against spray and inhalation. In addition, please wear the mask correctly so that it covers the nose and mouth without gaps.?Since mutated strains of the virus are spreading, contact even for a few minutes without mask puts you at risk of infection, even without talking. Particular attention should be paid to eating side-by-side or face-to-face in areas without partitions, and brushing one's teeth, which will result in widespread dispersal of saliva.

√ Ventilate rooms frequently.

Delta strains are said to be about two to four times more infectious than conventional strains, and it is also said that Omicron strains may be more infectious than Delta strains.?Aerosol infections have also been pointed out, so it is more important than ever to ensure thorough ventilation.

If this is difficult, open all windows for a few minutes at least once every 30 minutes to reduce the amount of virus in the air. The same applies to inside the car.

√ Make cashless payments when shopping.

(2) Avoid the Three Cs (confined spaces, crowded places and close contact).
√ Maintain a distance of 2 meters (at least 1 meter) from people.
√ Avoid face-to-face conversation as much as possible when talking to people.
√?Due to the rapid spread of Omicron infections, banquets, drinking and eating are strictly prohibited until March 14, regardless of the number of participants.

This does not apply to meals with family members who live with you on a regular basis, but please be aware that there is a risk of infection and take all possible measures to prevent infection.(Click here for 17th Message from the President Regarding COVID-19 "The beginning is the crux")

√Please refrain from entering places where people will socialize in close quarters and in poorly ventilated spaces.?(For example, karaoke bars, live music venues, etc.)

(3) Preventative measures when traveling.
√ Avoid congested places and times and work in small groups.??
√?Take thorough measures to prevent infection when moving between prefectures.
√ Make a note of who you meet, when and where, in case you get infected.
√?If you must use public transportation, be sure to wear a mask and try to not touch your face. Wash/disinfect your hands with alcohol and gargle after you exit the train.)?

?(4) Make use of 'Osaka COVID-19 tracking system'.
√ When using facilities where an unspecified large number of people gather, register your email on 'Osaka COVID-19 tracking system' provided by Osaka prefectural government.?

(5) Make use of the COVID-19 Contact Confirmation App 'COCOA'.
√ Register on the COVID-19 Contact Confirmation App 'COCOA' to keep yourself informed of places where infections have occurred. App provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.?

Classes for the 2021 academic year will be based on face-to-face classes (including mixed classes※), with thorough infection prevention measures in place to maintain ties between students and the university, as well as between students themselves, and to ensure educational effectiveness. However, some classes will be taught remotely.
　※If the number of face-to-face classes is more than half of the total number of classes during the term (7 classes for a 14-lesson class), it will be referred to as "mixed classes. "?

Students are allowed to enter campus only?if one of the following conditions is met. Please make sure to take your temperature before coming to school and confirm that your temperature is normal. In addition, please take all possible measures to prevent the spread of infection and avoid the 3 Cs while on campus.

(1) In cases where students must attend classes.
(2) In cases where students (including those falling under 4. below) need to conduct experiments on campus related to their graduation, master, or doctoral thesis, etc.
Each graduate school should take sufficient measures to prevent the spread of infection to students and graduate students, minimize time spent in the laboratory, and keep a record of students entering and leaving the laboratory, for example, by instructing them to enter their information into the "Web system for research activities (研活くん)" when entering and leaving the laboratory.
(3)?In cases where students are to participate in permitted extracurricular activities, when using the facilities, a representative must submit the "Extracurricular Activity Plan" to the Student Affairs Division three days prior to the day of, obtain permission and follow the rules designated by the Director of Student Affairs. Also, please record when entering or leaving the campus into the WEB system (=部活くん) and submit the "Extracurricular Activity Report" to the Student Affairs Division.
※Organizations that are found to not be compliant will be immediately suspended.
(4) In cases where use of the Media Center is required.
Those who intend to use the Media Center should follow the rules designated by the Director of Media Center.
(5) In case where use of the Health and Medical Services Center is required.
Staff at the Health and Medical Services Center are available during the daytime. If students or faculty/staff suddenly feel sick or get injured, please call the number below.
Health and Medical Services Center TEL: 06-6605-2108
(6) Other cases where students are permitted to enter the campus.?

We strongly urge students not to plan any travel (except for returning home) due to the rapid spread of Omicron infections.

　Please be aware that there is a risk of the spread of infection even if you are returning home, and be sure to take thorough prevention measures 10 days prior to your return, and during your travel. (Please see the 17th Message from the President Regarding COVID-19 "The beginning is the crux").

Research activities of faculty members, etc. (including researchers, undergraduate and graduate students) shall be classified as "Level 1 - Restricted (Minor)" in the Research Restrictions Guidelines.

　Priority will be given to research activities conducted at home or online, and permission will be granted for experimental research and other activities that require the use of university facilities, as well as business trips within Japan (including off-campus research and study), to the minimum extent necessary, provided that the precautions for preventing the spread of infection are observed. When conducting research activities using university facilities, please observe the precautions set forth by the university.?In addition, to control access to laboratories and to monitor the health status of faculty members, etc., please ensure that all information is entered into the "Web System for Research Activities (研活くん)

　※If it is confirmed that you have not complied with the guidelines, you will be suspended from using laboratories at OCU and other facilities for a certain period of time in order to ensure a safe research environment.

For the time being, it is recommended that events hosted by universities and departments be held online, regardless of the number of participants.

Face-to-face events will be permitted only if the following infection prevention measures are taken.

• The number of participants is less than half capacity.　
• No food or drink is involved.
• Installation of alcohol disinfectant solution at each venue (sufficient number of alcohol disinfectant solution should be installed according to the number of participants).
• All participants wear masks and are encouraged to wash their hands and gargle.
• Adequate distance between people is maintained (2m if possible, at least 1m).
• Create a list of participants or otherwise track contacts. (Keep track of all participants).
• Thoroughly inform and encourage participants to go directly home.

※If an event with more than 5,000 participants and a capacity ratio of more than 50% is to be held, an "Infection Prevention and Safety Plan" describing specific infection prevention measures must be formulated and submitted to Osaka Prefecture.

For the time being, students, faculty and staff will be allowed to travel overseas as follows

(1) Travel to countries and regions with infectious disease risk level 1 will be permitted with caution.
(2) Travel to countries and regions at risk of infectious disease levels 2 and 3 is prohibited in principle, but may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if certain conditions are met, such as completion of two doses of vaccination by the designated time.
(3) Travel to countries and regions with a risk level of 4 infectious diseases is not permitted.

　If there are unavoidable circumstances, be sure to fill out the checklist and submit it to each department for consultation. If you are granted special permission, please be sure to submit a written pledge to take the measures described in section 7 below to the relevant department before traveling, and follow the prescribed procedures.?

As a general rule, the procedure for students and faculty members returning to Japan from abroad or researchers and exchange students entering to Japan, will be based on the border enforcement measures of the Japanese government. In addition, the following measures should be taken:

（1）For?7 days after returning/reentering, please keep a record of your physical condition and temperature to ensure you don‘t have symptoms of a fever or a cough.
（2）Please monitor your health carefully for?7 days and stay at home, refraining from going out unnecessarily.
（3）If you have symptoms such as a fever or coughing, do not go to a medical institution directly, but first consult the Osaka Prefectural Consultation Office or the jurisdictional public health center and follow their instructions. Also call the Health and Medical Services Center at OCU.?

In principle, researchers from countries with an infectious disease risk level of 2 or higher are not allowed to be invited.

However, this is not the case if certain quarantine measures and other pledges are met in accordance with the government's policy on gradual measures to resume international travel.?

(1) Faculty and staff who have the symptoms described in 10. should stay home.
(2) Actively encourage telecommuting and staggered work hours to the extent possible in the course of work and minimize overtime work.
(3) Allow commuting by car in order to prevent infection from using public transportation.
(4)?Review the necessity of holding various meetings and the number of attendees, and cancel any meetings that are not necessary or urgent, and use e-mail, telephone, and video conferencing to the extent possible.
(5) Minimize business trips.?

Those who apply to following (A), (B) and (C) should immediately call your family doctor or the New Corona Consultation Center (新型コロナ受診相談センター) at your local public health center or the jurisdictional public health center in Osaka Prefecture, follow their directions, and also call the Health and Medical Services Center at OCU.
(A) Those who have severe symptoms of breathlessness (dyspnea), fatigue (malaise), fever, or altered smell/taste.
(B) When those who easily become seriously ill*, have relatively mild cold symptoms such as fever and cough.
* Elderly people or those with underlying diseases (diabetes, heart failure, respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.)), those undergoing artificial dialysis, those taking treatments with immunosuppressants or anti-cancer agents
(C) Those other than the above, yet continue to have relatively mild cold symptoms such as fever and cough
* If symptoms continue for more than four days, please be sure to contact the New Corona Consultation Center. As symptoms differ between each individual, if you think you have severe symptoms, please contact the center immediately. Those who must continue taking antipyretics also need to do the same.(Reference)
The New Corona Consultation Center (新型コロナ受診相談センター　帰国者?接触者相談センター)
Osaka City Public Health Center
　 TEL: 06-6647-0641 / FAX: 06-6647-1029
Other Public Health Centers in Osaka Prefecture
http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/iryo/osakakansensho/corona-denwa.html
Health and Medical Service Center TEL: 06-6605-2108?

If you or your family worry you have been in contact with someone with an infectious disease or have been in an area at the time an outbreak occurred, or if you have any concerns that you may have come into contact with an infectious disease patient,?please contact the faculty or graduate school you belong to.?

If you suspect that a family member is infected, be aware of the eight points in the last section of Attachment 2 (document is in Japanese) if there is a chance a family member is infected.

In light of the outbreak of community-acquired infection with the Omicron strain, Osaka Prefecture is offering free testing sites from December 24 to March 6 for asymptomatic prefectural residents who are concerned about infection. If you have even the slightest concern about infection, please check the following URL and take the test.

Osaka Prefecture HP: (In Japanese Only)
https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/kansenshokikaku/kensataisei/muryoukensa.html

·It has been reported that slander and unfounded rumors about infected people, etc. are spreading on social media. There are many international students from China and South Korea in OCU. Our students, faculty and staff members are asked to be calm, act based on correct information, and never to abuse human rights toward infected people, foreigners, medical personnel, etc. If you feel like someone's basic human rights are being violated, please contact the faculty/graduate school that you belong to.?

?Contact Information:
·Students: Faculty/Graduate School that you belong to
　　International students:
????? Global Exchange Office Email：goto.ocu@ado.osaka-cu.ac.jp
·Faculty/staff: Faculty/Graduate School, Office that you belong to
·Health Consultation Counter for New Coronavirus Infections:
????? Osaka Prefectural Consultation Counter:
????? TEL: 06-6944-8197 [dedicated line]
????? FAX: 06-6944-7579?

?Useful websites (Japanese):
·Ministry of Foreign Affairs
??https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/
?·Prime Minister's Office of Japan
??https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/headline/kansensho/coronavirus.html
?·Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
??https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000164708_00001.html
?·Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan
??https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/coronavirus/index.html
?·Embassy of Japan in China
??https://www.cn.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html
?·Infectious Disease Surveillance (IDSC)
??https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/ja/from-idsc/2482-corona/9305-corona.html?
·Osaka Prefectural Government
??http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/iryo/osakakansensho/corona.html

In response to the declaration of a state of emergency in Osaka Prefecture, in principle, students will not be allowed to enter the campus during the declaration period (until June 20).

　However, students will be allowed only if one of the following conditions is met. Please make sure to take your temperature before coming to school and confirm that your temperature is normal. In addition, please take all possible measures to prevent the spread of infection and avoid the 3 Cs while on campus.