Facemasks Compulsory at all Wittenborg Locations in the Netherlands from Monday 5th October

04.10.2020

Wear a face mask in all public areas unless in class or sitting behind a desk with 1.5-metre distance from others

Facemasks-compulsory-at-all-Wittenborg-locations-in-the-Netherlands-from-Monday-5th-October From Monday, the 5th of October, the wearing of face masks at all WUAS locations in the Netherlands will be compulsory for all students and staff unless sitting in a classroom, teaching, or sitting behind a desk with 1.5-m distance from others.

All other COVID-19 policy regulations remain in force. The compulsory wearing of a face mask in public indoor areas is for Wittenborg's Amsterdam location, and the Apeldoorn campus - Spoorstraat 23, Laan van Mensenrechten 500 (Aventus Building) and also at the student accommodation location Ruyterstraat 3. In other student accommodation, please adhere to the regulations of that location, and national guidelines.

The Face Mask Rule:

• In all public areas

• In all cases indoors when 1.5-metre distance is not possible

Aventus college also has introduced a compulsory face mask wearing policy from Monday at the Laan van Mensenrechten. This will be enforced at the entrance to the building

Students studying in Munich, Germany (NEC) and Bad Vöslau, Austria (ITM) must adhere to the regulations of their local colleges.

Face Masks in the Netherlands

The compulsory wearing of face masks in the Netherlands has been an ongoing social and political discussion, hotly debated. Finally, last week the Prime Minister and the Dutch government relented to public pressure to introduce clear guidelines on the wearing of face masks in all public places. Legally the implementation of face masks in the Netherlands is a social and moral duty, rather than a regulation set in law, as this would require a change in the law.

However, schools and universities are entitled to implement their own requirements and not allow students and staff to ignore these. We believe the wearing of face masks can lead to a better protection of its students and staff.

Thanks

I would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks and deep admiration for all our students and our teachers who are working hard and learning and teaching within our hybrid system, still under the difficult conditions that COVID19 has imposed upon us. We wish you all the strength required to overcome this period, which looks to continue for some time.

Stay Safe

At the same time, I would like to remind everyone of the vital importance of following the guidelines regarding face masks, personal hygiene, social distancing and group activities. These are essential to keep yourselves safe, and to keep others around you safe as well.

Peter Birdsall

WUAS President