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In University Accommodation, a household is the people with whom you share a corridor and kitchen area. Your Christmas bubble can include students from other corridors and blocks but must not exceed a maximum of 6 people.
Please note that external visitors are not permitted to enter University accommodation and cannot be included in your Christmas bubble.
Student Update: New tier 4 restrictions, updated Christmas bubbles advice and Light the Way
21/12/2020
Please be aware that this information was shared with students by email and correct at the time of sending. For the latest Covid-19 guidance, please visit our coronavirus webpages: www.wlv.ac.uk/coronavirus. If you are a student who has a query or needs support, please log a helpcall with ASK@WLV in e:Vision (www.wlv.ac.uk/evision).
You will be aware that the government has added Tier 4: Stay at Home to the COVID-19 restrictions and altered the Christmas relaxations. This update contains information from the Universities Minister Michelle Donelan about what this means for students who want to go home for the Christmas break but have not yet done so and also provides updated advice about Christmas bubbles.
Christmas bubbles
Below is the updated advice from the Government about Christmas bubbles
Meeting friends and family
On 25 December
This Christmas, it’s safest if you spend time only with your own household or support bubble. On 25 December you may choose to form a Christmas bubble if you feel you really need to. This only applies to people who do not live in a Tier 4 area.
In a Tier 4 area, you must follow the rules in your tier over the Christmas period. This means that you cannot meet other people indoors over the Christmas period, unless you ordinarily live with them, or they are part of your existing support bubble. Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household.
A Christmas bubble can meet in a private home, a place of worship or an outdoor public space. In all other settings, if you do form a Christmas bubble, you must still follow the rules for the tier you meet in.
After Christmas
From 26 December, you must follow the guidance for the tier in your area, as a minimum. Christmas bubbles will no longer apply. In most places across the UK, that means you cannot mix with other households indoors, including on New Years’ Eve.
Those who choose to form a Christmas bubble should exercise additional caution and cut down on unnecessary social contact after seeing their Christmas bubble to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Further information is available on the Government’s Advice for the Christmas period webpages.
Students staying in accommodation
Students who are staying in accommodation over the festive break can also choose to form an exclusive 'Christmas bubble' on 25 December composed of people from no more than three households.
In University Accommodation, a household is the people with whom you share a corridor and kitchen area. Your Christmas bubble can include students from other corridors and blocks but must not exceed a maximum of 6 people.
Please note that external visitors are not permitted to enter University accommodation and cannot be included in your Christmas bubble.
New Tier 4 Restrictions: Letter to students from Universities Minister
I know most students who were planning to go home will have done so by now in the student travel window that we created, but I wanted to give clarity and comfort to those who are yet to travel including student on clinical placements or with jobs in their university town etc. This government made a commitment that students could return home for Christmas and we are keeping it.
To be clear any student can travel home once during the period 3 December 2020 and 7 February 2021. As previously stated, students will form part of the household they return to and will not count as a separate household. This remains the case for those who may be preparing to travel from or to a Tier 4 area. If you are planning to travel to somewhere outside the United Kingdom, you should check whether your destination country has any restrictions in place that may affect your plans.
If a COVID-19 test is available locally, through your university or through your host organisation if you are on a clinical placement, we would encourage you to take a test before you travel.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and cooperation with the measures we have put in place to enable you to continue your studies whilst at the same time managing the continuing risks COVID-19 presents to us all.
Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities
Light the Way
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that you can visit our Light the Way webpage which contains lots of important information for students over the Christmas break. This includes library opening times, a programme of festive events, how you can access mental health and wellbeing support and emergency contact details. I would encourage you all to use this page as your point of reference and to get involved with some of the activities to help you stay connected with the University community.
Stay safe, be kind.
Professor Julia Clarke
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.
