Category: evpdg

To: Students, Administrative and Academic Staff in the Technion and TRDF,

The Green Badge regulations will expire at midnight today and will no longer be required when entering the Technion.  The gates operations will return to its pre-COVID routine.  Please adhere to the traffic signs and instructions by the security personnel when entering our campuses.

Employees can work up to two days a week from home.  Please note that this requires specific approval by the direct manager of the employee as well as following a number of procedures that accompanied such remote working till now (e.g., availability, no over-time hours, etc.).

Exams will continue as planned.  We have spread the exams over a larger-than-usual number of classrooms and made sure that sufficient distance will be kept between the students.  We have also provided additional protection measures to safeguard the health of all involved.  Please note that wearing masks is a mandatory requirement throughout the exam.

The expiration of the Green Badge doesn’t mean that COVID is no longer here.  We still see a significant number of Technion and TRDF people who are confirmed as COVID-positive and others who are required to be in isolation for a few days.  Hence, we ask everyone to keep on adhering to the basic protection guidelines – in particular, wearing masks in any closed space and avoiding congested crowds.

With best wishes,

Boaz

 

To: Technion community

Starting tomorrow, we will place a booth in the Ullman Teaching center (8AM through 2PM daily) where students & staff will be able to purchase an antigen corona test kit for personal usage only.  The (subsidized) cost is 10 NIS and the purchase can be done only through the Technion application (if you don’t have one, please download it from the Google or Apple stores onto your mobile phone).  If the test result is positive, one has to leave the campus immediately and move into self-isolation space. For those living on campus, please coordinate with the Dorms’ Office the logistics of your quarantine.  Positive outcome requires one to follow up with a PCR test.

As indicated in a letter sent yesterday by the Senior VP (prof. Rabinovitch) to the students and Academic Staff, we have decided to continue our teaching and research activities as before.  To enable us to maintain these core operations, I am asking everyone to adhere to the regulations regarding wearing face masks and avoiding congested spaces. Work related meetings should be carried out, as much as possible, through Zoom.

Anyone infected with COVID, or that is aware of someone else in our community that was affected, should report it ASAP to the relevant administrative staff.  We are doing our best to collect & analyze the data on confirmed cases as it helps us make the right decisions while the pandemic continue to evolve over time.

With best wishes of good health to all,

Boaz

To: Technion community

Following the arrival of the Omicron variant and the beginning of the fifth wave of the COVID pandemic, the government had decided to take certain measures to slow down the spread of the disease.  One of these steps is to reduce the presence of public sector employees in the workplace.  The implication of these new regulation on the Technion is as follows:

• Employees in the administrative staff can work up to two days away from the campus.  Working away from campus is possible under the following conditions:
  • The work profile is such that it can indeed be performed outside of the campus
  • The employee has the necessary means to carry out the work (e.g., computer, communication, a suitable place to work, etc.)
  • The head of the unit or the chief administrator of the unit where the employee works has approved it.
• Overtime work during days in which work is carried out away from campus is not allowed.
• More detailed instructions will be sent separately to the administrative directors.
• There is no change in teaching, exams or research activities.
• Since no new gathering restrictions were put in place, events, ceremonies etc. can continue to take place as planned.  However, it is important to follow the general regulations regarding wearing masks in closed spaces (and it also recommended to wear masks in outdoor areas where several people are standing close to one another).
• There is no change in the way people are allowed to enter the campus (presenting the Green Badge or a valid negative COVID test).  As well, there is no change in our work patterns.  In particular, offices that serve people will continue to do so even though it would be wise to recommend to service recipients (students, staff, visitors) to receive services through phone or digital means.
• The regulations above hold to Technion and TRDF (Technion R&D Foundation) staff alike.
• Following the government decision, these new regulations will start on Sunday (Dec. 26) and will be in effect through January 26^th (unless extended at some point in time).

With best wishes of good health to all,

Boaz

To: Technion and Technion R&D Foundation (TRDF) employees, students and staff

 

I would like to bring to your attention certain changes in our COVID-related guidelines and work procedures that will come into effect on Sunday, Oct. 3^rd:

 

1. The Ministry of Public Health has changed the rules regarding eligibility to hold a “Green Pass”.  Please look at the RAMZOR website to find out whether you are still eligible and produce an updated Green Pass document to be presented where necessary.
2. Everyone entering the Technion will need to present to the guards in the gates an updated Green Pass or a valid negative COVID test as before.    Dorm residents may also use their dorm confirmation document to enter the campus.
3. As we prepare to launch the new academic year according to schedule, we will return to full scale work on our campuses.  Administrative directors in the various units may apply to the HR dept. at the Technion or TRDF to obtain special permission for specific employees to conduct their work from home or other remote locations.  Except for rare cases, such permits will be issued for up to one day a week.
4. The limitation not to exceed 75% occupancy in lecture halls is removed.  Also, events and ceremonies can be held on campus as before but subject to the general COVID regulations as they apply in all other public places.

 

With best wishes,

 

Boaz

 

An update by Prof. Boaz Golany, Executive Vice President and Director General, regarding the activation of the Green Pass on the Technion’s campuses.

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An update by Prof. Boaz Golany, Executive Vice President and Director General, following Corona Cabinet decisions.

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Dear all,

 

The Ministry of Public Health has reinstated the requirement to wear face masks in all closed spaces as of yesterday at noon.  The implications to Technion students and staff are as follows:

 

• Everyone is required to wear masks inside buildings at the Technion.
• This requirement also holds in all classrooms and auditoria where lectures, tutorials and exams take place.
• Lecturers are allowed to take off the mask while they teach as long as they maintain a 2 meters distance from the closest student.
• There is no change in the schedule of classes and exams.  The exams will be done on campus as announced previously.
• At the present time, the requirement to wear masks holds during the exams.  We are trying to secure an exemption from this particular requirement and if successful we will announce it promptly.
• People suffering from medical issues that prevent them from wearing a mask need to secure an appropriate medical document to prove it.
• Sport activities in the gym and basket ball arena are exempt from the mask requirement.  Masks must be worn in the closed pool (of course, not when staying in the water)
• Academic and administrative staff, as well as graduate students & postdocs are allowed to take off the masks while they are in an office which they occupy alone or with just one office mate.  People working in larger open-spaces are allowed to take off the masks while in their working desk if proper partitions were placed near them.
• Please stay tuned to additional updates which we will send as soon as we receive them from authorized regulatory agencies.

 

Sincerely,

 

28th update by Prof. Boaz Golany, Executive Vice President and Director General, regarding gradual return to activity routine

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Re-opening the Sports Center: Updates and additional information

Dear all,

Please see below some updates regarding the re-opening of the Sport Center tomorrow:

• Negative Corona test will NOT enable entrance (this is in contrast to my previous message on this subject).
• Using formal Vaccination / Corona recovery confirmation will be possible tomorrow as many people who were vaccinated have not yet printed the Green Badge Confirmation.  But, from Monday onwards, entrance will be possible only to those holding formal Green Badge confirmations (please look for the RAMZOR website of the Ministry of Public Health where one can print these confirmations).
• The numbers of people staying simultaneously in the swimming pools complex and the gym are restricted by the Green Badge regulation to maximum capacity figures.  We will monitor these numbers and in case we reach these ceilings, new arrivals will have to wait until some users of the center leave.  If and when the demand to the center’s facilities will surge, we will reinstall an early reservation system.
• At this stage, children under the age of 16 are not allowed to enter the Sport Center.
• Users of the center’s facilities are kindly requested to follow the guidelines printed and pasted inside the complex.
• The gym will reopen tomorrow on 7AM and the pool complex at 10AM.

Wishing good health to all,

Boaz