• The wearing of a mouth-nose mask is obligatory in the CMMC Research Building, on the entire Campus of Medical Faculty / University Hospital Cologne.
• Wearing masks applies also to outdoor areas and areas within buildings including offices and laboratories (regardless of the size of the room).
• If CMMC members arrive at or leave the campus together the wearing of masks is mandatory.

3 G Rule (Vaccinated - Tested - Recovered)

• for external vistors (i.e. persons who are not employed at the University of Cologne or University Hospital Cologne)
• technician from external companies

Please immediatly get in contact with the CMMC-Office (zmmk-office[at]uni-koeln.de), when your are planning a visit of an external visitor or a technician.

• Restrict the number of people, who work in the same room to a minimum; if more than one person works in a room, the distance of 1,5m has to be maintained
• Wearing of medical masks is an obligation if more than 1 person works in an office, writing zone or lab
• Traceability of people through assignment of the workplace 
• Ensure regular ventilation

• Follow the hygiene rules to avoid possible infection by taking a few simple measures, you can protect yourself and help to protect others against Covid-19 infection - www.infektionsschutz.de
• Regular and thorough hand washing, cleaning of surfaces, ventilation of rooms and offices
• Regular disinfection of laboratory equipment, tables etc. as well as door handles
• Disinfectant where there is no opportunity to wash hands regularly.
• The Central Hospital Hygiene Department (Zentrale Krankenhaushygiene) of the University Hospital Cologne headed by Dr. Zweigner and her team will be happy to answer any questions from scientific staff (phone 0221 478-81317 or - 81318).

• A minimum distance of 1.5 meters between each other, even during breaks is mandatory.

• If you suffer from symptoms such as headache or aching limbs, loss of smell or taste, fever, cough, sore throat or cold, please stay at home and do not come to work.
• Provide a negative PCR test from the test center of the University Hopital before you start working.
• Please stay at home if you are not sure e.g. in case of suspicion or illness.
• CMMC members who are affected in one or the other way by the COVID-19 situation and are therefore psychologically stressed, please contact: psychosomatik[at]uk-koeln.de.

• Web based video meetings are obligatory for all group meetings, seminars etc.
• Internal face-to-face meetings - possible in case of compelling official reasons. At the Seminar Room of the CMMC Research Building: max. 10 participants, distance keeping of 1.5 m, wearing masks is madatory and traceability by participation list is obligatory.
• External face-to-face events (e.g. seminars, workshops) are possible with restrictions
• Web based seminars are preferred. The CMMC is changing the Seminar Series accordingly.
• If you need assistance in setting up the digital communication, please get in contact with Konstantin Belostoski (konstantin.belostotski[at]uni-koeln.de)

If you require service of the CMMC core facilities, please visit the following webpage for further information: https://www.cmmc-uni-koeln.de/core-facilities/overview

Please also visit the webpages of the central facilities from which you need support (e.g. animal facility network, ZKS, ethics committee, scientific core services, MedizinFotoKöln, etc.)

• Please inform your staff of the risk of infection with the coronavirus and how they can protect themselves (see https://www.infektionsschutz.de/)
• Continue to allow work from home when possible.
• Internships for Master Students are allowed. A confirmation from the CMMC-Office is required. Please get in contact with Claudia Herr (claudia.herr[at]uni-koeln.de)

Latest information  - NEW COVID REGULATIONS

Dear CMMC Members

We are pleased to provide you with the updated information of the Infection Protection Law (“Infektionsschutzgesetz”):

• For employees and visitors the 3 G regulation at the CMMC Research Building is in place.
   
• Please note,  access to all buildings of the University of Cologne as well as the University Hospital is only possible for employees with vaccination, recovered (convalescent) or test proof (3G proof)
   
• Employees who have not recovered or have not been vaccinated only get access to the CMMC under the following conditions: (a) be asymptomatic and (b) carry a current proof of non-existence of infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in paper or digital form.
   
• Conditions for testing for SARS-Cov 2: (a) Testing must be performed outside working hours at external testing centers. (b) Testing by means of an antigen self-test is not accepted. (c) The test evidence must be dated no more than 24 hours ago (48 h maximum in the case of a PCR test). (d) This testing obligation does not apply to mobile work outside the University Hospital Cologne.
   
• Important: Testing is mandatory. In case of non-compliance with the rules, wage deduction and further legal measures must be expected.
   
• Research Group Leaders/Heads of Facility  are responsible for checking the proof of their team members.

Our major aim is to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) at your work place and to protect yourself and those who are most at risk, and thereby supporting the Unversity Hospital Cologne. 

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards ..... take care, get your booster vaccination and stay healthy!

Claudia  Herr (Claudia.Herr[at]uni-koeln.de) and Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher (debora.grosskopf-kroiher[at]uni-koeln.de)

Update July 01, 2021
Due to the current improvement of the Corona situation, the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Medicine lifted some restrictions for face-to-face teaching and research on campus as of July 1, 2021.

Currently, we are at Corona incidence level 1 in Cologne and NRW.

Face-to-face classes and exams in enclosed rooms

General

• Relevant hygiene rules (,,AHA+L" = distance – hygiene – mask + ventilation) are still to be observed, tests currently not required for < 100 persons in enclosed rooms and observance of the minimum distance with simple traceability (participants list)
• Medical mouth-nose protection (surgical mask, not FFP-2 mask) on campus if below minimum distance, in buildings and teaching rooms
• Maximum number of persons 100 (lectures therefore still digital/online), (exception exams: also more than 100 persons allowed)
• Minimum distance of 1.5 meters (e.g. one seat distance in lecture halls)
• No crowds/queues in or in front of the building
• Teaching on patients: as little contact as possible, hand disinfection, medical mouth/nose protection

Minimum distance of 1.5 meters between seats not required if:

• lncidence level 1 or 2 at the university location (currently given see above),
• Traceability is ensured

1. - by assigned seats (documented seating plan)
2. - and documentation of those present (matriculation number).

For written exams in attendance, please contact Mr. Krahwinkel (Head of the Examination Office) early enough to clarify the organizational and personnel requirements.

Please submit an informal application to the Task-Force Teaching (attn: Dr. Stosch) to conduct a face-to-face course or exam, assuring that the above mentioned requirements are met.
 

Face-to-face doctoral exams

are possible with the mutual agreement of the examination committee members, the exam candidate and the examiner, and subject to the protective and hygienic measures described above. The exam candidates will receive the detailed up-to-date information from the doctoral office.

Research on campus

• Relevant hygiene rules (AHA+L") are still to be observed
• Medical mouth-nose protection (surgical mask, FFP-2 mask if applicable) on campus, in buildings and workrooms
• Offer of 2 corona tests per week by employers (weekdays between 9-11 a.m. at the Infection Control Center, Building 16)
• Minimum indoor area of 10 m² per person no longer required
• Minimum distance of 1.5 meters only for activities necessary
• Reduction of simultaneous use of rooms by several persons to the minimum
• Reduction of personal contacts through appropriate technical and organizational measures

We thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards
Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher - debora.grosskopf-kroiher[at]uni-koeln.de

Please note:
The following rules for working in the CMMC research building remain unchanged, regardless of your vaccination status:

• consistently wear a medical mouth-nose protection or an FFP-2 mask on the medical campus
• keep your distance and
• ensure regular and thorough hand washing, cleaning of surfaces, ventilation of rooms and offices, regular disinfection of laboratory equipment, tables etc. as well as door handles
• employees with flu-like symptoms must not come to work and have to report to Contact Person Management (KPM: phone 81315 - kpm-covid19@uk-koeln.de) as a first step. In close consultation with the KPM it will then be decided whether a PCR test needs to be taken at the Infection Control Center. Employees who have had a private or professional risk contact are asked to proactively report to the KPM in any case and stay at home until a decision can be made on basis of a PCR test. Only with a negative PCR test result from the Infection Protection Center and permission of KPM you may return to work
• With respect to meetings in presence, the regulations of the University Hospital are valid for the CMMC building and people working at CMMC. Until further notice, only events that are absolutely necessary to maintain internal operations and that cannot be reasonably conducted in online format are to be held as face-to-face meetings.

For further questions about the working conditions in the CMMC Research Building

• please contact Dr. Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher (debora.grosskopf-kroiher[at]uni-koeln.de) or Dr. Claudia Herr (claudia.herr@uni-koeln.de).

Due to the current improvement of the Corona situation, the Executive Board of the University Hospital Cologne and the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Medicine lift the general ban on business travel effective June 1, 2021 and would like to point out to all employees that when returning from business trips from abroad (especially from high incidence or virus-variant areas), not only the applicable federal and state regulations, but also the testing and quarantine regulations established by the University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine by the Executive Board and the Dean's Office must be observed. These regulations can be found on the intranet at FAQ Coronavirus.

Travel / Vacation
Please note that in terms of bans and quarantine regulations after returning from abroad the regulations of the University Hospital are valid for all people working at the CMMC.  
For your summer vacation planning, we kindly ask you to check whether it is safe to travel to your chosen destination. It is requested that you do not travel to areas that have already been designated by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) as a risk area, high incidence area or virus variant area at the time of your departure.
According to the new Coronavirus Entry Regulation – Corona Einreise Verordnung (valid since May 12, 2021 until June 30, 2021) the following requirements now apply to UKK employees:
- If you suffer from COVID-19 like symptoms, after returning from vacation, please stay at home and consult your family doctor in order to obtain a sick note. When you are symptom-free you can have a PCR-test taken at the Infection Protection Center at the University Hospital of Cologne. You are only allowed to return to work if your PCR-Test is negative.
In case that no symptoms are detected after returning from vacation, please follow the instructions of the University Hospital, which vary depending on the area visited (risk, high incidence or virus variant area). Please find the exact procedure here: https://medfak.uni-koeln.de/en/corona.

Due to the high number of infections, we ask you to give your team members, if possible, the option to work from home.
This procedure is in accordance with the instructions of Professor Gereon Fink, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (University of Cologne) and Professor Edgar Schöming, Medical Director of the University Hospital Cologne.
These measures are aimed at reducing the number of people on campus to the lowest possible level - especially when the recommended social distancing is difficult or impossible to maintain.

We thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards
Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher - debora.grosskopf-kroiher[at]uni-koeln.de

During the past months all members and guests have made significant contribution to limiting the consequences of the corona pandemic on the Campus of the Faculty of Medicine and the University Hospital Cologne.
Even though the frightening dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 new infections could be broken in March, the infection rate has gone up again.
The prevention measures against SARS-CoV-2 previously taken by the University Hospital Cologne and the Faculty of Medicine remain in force and unabridged:
•    no gatherings
•    use of mouth-nose masks is mandatory
•    general hygiene and distance rules
•    ban on business trips
•    resource-saving handling of disposable materials

Since April 15, 2020 and considering the update from October 23, 2020 the Medical Director of the University Hospital Cologne and the Rector of the University of Cologne forwarded following measures/regulations. These regulations are implemented at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne.

For further questions about the working conditions in the CMMC Research Building

• Please contact Dr. Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher (debora.grosskopf-kroiher[at]uni-koeln.de) or Dr. Claudia Herr (claudia.herr@uni-koeln.de).