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Taking Thorough Measures to Prevent Infection for the Year-end and New Year Season

November 20, 2020

To all students, faculty and staff of the University of Tokyo:

We appreciate your continued cooperation regarding COVID-19 infection prevention measures.

The number of those infected with COVID-19 is rapidly increasing nationwide, and Tokyo raised the level of current infection status to “The infection is spreading.”, the most serious stage, on November 19. Members of the university continue to be infected. Although there have been no spreads of infection or occurrences of clusters caused by on-campus activities on any of the UTokyo campuses, the risk of rapid spread of infection is increasing.

In the coming season, the temperature will go down and you will have many opportunities for seasonal events; however, each member is required to take thorough measures to protect themselves and to prevent the spread of infection to others to make the university campus a safe place to conduct research and educational activities.

All students, faculty and staff should pay close attention to the following points:

1. On and Off Campus

  • Referring to the “Guideline for Strengthening COVID-19 Infection Control Measures,” take thorough measures to prevent infection, such as wearing a mask, washing hands, gargling and avoiding the “3C”s. ( https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/COVID-19-message-taskforce-4.html )
  • Referring to the e-learning materials provided by the university and other resources, act on the basis of accurate information and scientific evidence.
  • The advisory board of the government have specified “5 situations” that increase the risk of infection: (1) social gatherings with drinking alcohol, (2) long feasts in large groups, (3) conversation without a mask, (4) living together in a small limited space, and (5) switching locations. ( https://corona.go.jp/prevention/pdf/en.5situations.pdf )
    Check if the “5 situations” are unintentionally part of your life, and avoid infection risks both on and off campus.
  • Discrimination against those who are infected and determined as close contacts and their households will not be tolerated. Any of you can be infected with COVID-19. If the tendency to blame infected people spreads, those who are not feeling well may hesitate to visit a medical institution and hide their infection. This may result in a regional spread of infection. Treat infected people with compassion.

2. On Campus

  • Although the temperature will go down in the coming season, classrooms, laboratories, and office rooms should be ventilated well. Perform machine ventilation constantly. If machine ventilation is unavailable, open the windows frequently. In addition, humidify the room so that the humidity is kept at 40 – 60%.
  • Regarding infection prevention measures in classrooms, laboratories, and office rooms, the Division for Environment, Health and Safety has listed good practices on the page below. ( https://sites.google.com/ohs.adm.u-tokyo.ac.jp/safe-lab-office-tips )
    Please use the information in your own department or laboratory.
  • The university is developing technology for sensing the “3C”s. The following systems display the number of people currently in each classroom, cafeteria, etc.
    Sensing system for the “3C”s by observation of Bluetooth advertisements transmitted by COCOA
    http://sensors.nakao-lab.org/table/komaba (Komaba I Campus)
    http://sensors.nakao-lab.org/table/yayoi (Yayoi Campus)
    Crowd status display system via WiFi connection monitoring

3. Off Campus

  • Refrain from social gatherings with drinking and eating, and drinking with a large number of people or for a long time. If you have lunch or dinner with your friends or colleagues, lower the number of participants, finish quickly, and wear a mask when you talk, in order to avoid infection risks.
  • Refrain from activities which may cause droplet or aerosol infection, such as karaoke, music activities, theatrical activities, and contact sports. If carrying out these activities is absolutely necessary, pay the closest attention to avoiding infection risks, such as by wearing a mask, ventilating the venue, and keeping social distance.
  • If traveling home or for leisure, consider changing the traveling period to avoid the “3C”s. If your physical condition is not well, refrain from traveling. If you get sick at your travel destination, observe instructions from local healthcare authorities.
  • Take thorough measures to prevent infection at seasonal events where many people gather, such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and the first sunrise. Refrain from participating in events and parties where an unspecified large number of people are gathered and making loud voices. Consider new ways of enjoying seasonal events, such as staying home with members of your household and participating in online events.

Although we will celebrate the year-end and new year in a different way than usual, your continuing cooperation will be much appreciated.

November 20, 2020
FUKUDA Hiroo,
Executive Vice President
Head, UTokyo Coronavirus Task Force

Taking Thorough Measures to Prevent Infection for the Year-end and New Year Season (PDF: 434KB)

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