MCAST reveal new COVID-19 safety protocols ahead of college reopening

MCAST has published specific safety protocols for the physical reopening of the school, prioritising face-to-face lectures and limiting classroom occupancies.

The safety protocols build on the guidelines published by health authorities. Persons with a temperature above 37.2°C will be denied access to campus, and facemasks are to be worn by all individuals and kept on at all times in indoor public spaces.

All individuals are urged to keep a 1.5m physical distance from other people, with a maximum of 15 persons attending one class at a given time, or depending on the size of the room. Mass gatherings and assemblies should not take place and student association meetings should be held virtually.

With regards to the canteen, all persons must wear a face mask when picking up food and individuals should not sit facing each other. Contact details will be registered for all those entering the canteen to help with contact-tracing. 

Face-to-face sessions, including assessments, will be organised in smaller clusters. Each cluster will be discouraged from meeting with other clusters. 

Lockers will not be available in the MCAST library. Students will be able to bring their bags into the library but are not to leave them unattended. The browsing of bookshelves will be prohibited, and those looking to borrow library items must contact the library contact point with the details of the book they wish to borrow. All returned books will be quarantined for 72 hours.

MCAST is recommending concerned pupils with significant risk factors to discuss the possibility of online learning options with Institute Directors.

Read the full document here.