August 27, 2021

To students in the Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University

NAGAI Takaya
Dean, Graduate School of Science

Today, Friday 27th August 2021, a state of emergency was declared for the third time in Hokkaido due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) has raised to Alert Level 3 (Restriction High) in our university.
https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/university-life/health-and-wellness/covid-19-health-alerts-and-advisories/
In response to this, although we are currently closed for the summer, for the time being (at least while the University’s BCP level 3 is still in force), the Graduate School of Science will take the following actions. Vaccination at the University is underway, but it takes 14 days after the second dose of vaccination to be fully immunized, and it is not possible to completely prevent infection. Regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not, please continue to practice the new normal of graduate school life with appropriate infection prevention measures.

Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/vaccine_moderna.html
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/vaccine.html

1. Traveling and Outings

• To reduce the risk of infection when traveling, please strictly refrain from nonessential and non-urgent traveling and outings regardless of distance. If you have to travel out of Hokkaido due to job hunting, etc., please be careful and take all measures for infection prevention. Please be sure to inform your supervisor of the purpose, destination, and duration of your trip.
• If you have a fever or other cold-like symptoms, please refrain from going out. Even if the fever goes down quickly, please refrain from going out for several days.
• We strongly recommend the installation of the contact verification application “COCOA”, which is expected to help prevent the spread of infection as the number of users increases.

2. Visiting University Campus

• Please do not come to the university for unnecessarily.
• You are not allowed to use the buildings of the School of Science for any purpose other than those permitted by your teaching professors or supervisor.
• As for the buildings of the School of Science, building #2 and #5 are locked and other entrances are opened. In case of entering to the building #2 or #5, please use your student ID card to unlock.
• Please keep wearing a mask (a non-woven mask is recommended for high infection protection) when entering the buildings and during your activities (including when moving around), and wash your hands, disinfect your fingers, and observe coughing manners.
• Please try to minimize your stay inside the buildings of the School of Science.
• Avoid group dining as possible.
• Take your temperature every day and record the results of your temperature (use the mobile phone app “Health Diary” or “Health Check Sheet” prescribed by the university to monitor your health status). If necessary, you may be asked to submit your records.

  Health Check Sheet
  https://www.hokudai.ac.jp/gakusei/healthchecksheet.pdf

3. Lectures (Lectures, exercises, experiments, and practical training) on BCP Level 3

• Intensive lectures held during summer holiday will be conducted online. Students are not permitted to use the University’s Wi-Fi environment to take online classes. The university loans mobile Wi-Fi routers and tablets for students who do not have internet environment at home. Please consult with the Academic Affairs Section (rkyo1(at)sci.hokudai.ac.jp).
• In the case of intensive lectures involving exercises, practical training, and experiments, if it is truly essential to incorporate face-to-face sessions for educational effectiveness, face-to-face sessions may be conducted after taking sufficient measures to prevent the spread of infection. Please follow the instructions of your instructor.
• Information about study and campus life will be updated through the Rigaku Joho System https://www.sci.hokudai.ac.jp/jimu_renraku/ , so please check regularly.

4. Research Activities

• In principle, graduate students should conduct their research activities at home, and refrain from conducting research that requires travel, such as field surveys, as Sapporo is a location where the infection has spread. However, in the case of research activities that really need to be carried out in the laboratory or outdoors, the supervisor will communicate with the graduate student, and based on mutual consent, the supervisor can submit a declaration of continued research activity. Research in the laboratory should be carried out under the supervision of a supervisor, with the minimum number of students required to carry out the research safely, and with the utmost care taken to prevent the spread of infection, for example by keeping the stay in the laboratory as short as possible. Research activities in the field should also be carried out with care and attention to infection prevention.

5. Inquiries about Study and Campus Life

• The Academic Affairs Section in the Graduate School of Science is closed on Alert Level 3. If you have any questions about study or procedures, please contact the Graduate School Educational Affairs Section through e-mail (r-gakuin(at)sci.hokudai.ac.jp).
• However, in the case of emergency such as inquiries about study and procedures, please come to the office.

6．Mental Care Office

The Faculty of Science has the Mental Care Office, which had been temporarily closed, reopened on Thursday, September 2.

• The Faculty of Science has the Mental Care Office. Currently, it only offers email or telephone consultations. A clinical psychologist counselor is there to help with any concerns you may have. If you have any concerns, please feel free to make an appointment for a telephone consultation by email (nayami(at)sci.hokudai.ac.jp). It also accepts consultations by email only. For more information, please visit https://www2.sci.hokudai.ac.jp/faculty/counseling.

7．Contact information in case you are diagnosed with COVID-19

• If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are suspected of being infected, or if you have been designated as a close contact, please contact the following. (DO NOT come to university).
  Weekdays 8:30-17:00
  Graduate School Educational Affairs Section 011-706-3675
• If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 at night, on weekends, or holidays, contact the Disaster Prevention Center of the School of Science immediately. The administration office will contact you later to ask about the details.
  Weekdays from 5:00 p.m. – / Weekends and holidays All day,
  Disaster Prevention Center of the School of Science 011-706-2660