• Your personal tutor and your Department are here to help you access the right support and services if you are experiencing any difficulties.  
• Our support services are being delivered remotely, including the Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service which offers online and email counselling, as well as online workshops.  
• Online Connect is a remote support group for students facilitated by mental health counsellors which gives you an opportunity to talk and connect with others if life feels unsettling and overwhelming.  
• Staying active is essential for physical and mental wellbeing. Move Imperial's MoveFromHome programme features a schedule of virtual classes, fitness recommendations and playlists free for anyone in halls.
• You can find out more about support on the Student Support Zone webpage. 

1. Self-isolate in your room
2. Update your COVID-19 status on MyImperial
3. Complete the Test and Trace Form for the Contact Tracing Hub
4. Arrange a COVID-19 test

1. Self-isolate in your room 

You are expected to self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of your symptoms.

If you are in an en-suite room, you will not be permitted to leave in under any circumstance (except in case of emergency).

If you are in a non-ensuite room, you will remain in your room until you have had your COVID-19 test result. If you test positive, you will be moved to an en-suite isolation room within the halls. You can only leave your room to use the bathroom facilities. You must ensure that you are wearing your face covering and clean all touch points before and after use. 

Regardless of the room-type you are in you cannot use the kitchen so will need to arrange for food to be delivered to your bedroom door. You will have the option to request food from the College food delivery system. You can also make your own arrangements to access food (if you choose to do this, you must arrange for a friend/buddy within your Zone to deliver any food outside room).

2. Update your COVID-19 status on MyImperial

Update your COVID-19 status on MyImperial. You will be asked for your current address, and the date of onset for your symptoms. By updating your status, hall staff and wardens will be automatically notified and will reach out to you soon after to check you're well and have the support you need. 

You do not need to inform anyone in halls separately, however if you are unwell or need any immediate assistance, please reach out.

3. Complete the Test and Trace Form for the Contact Tracing Hub

As part of the process of updating your status on MyImperial you will be asked to complete a form for the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub (CCT Hub). The CCT Hub team will get in touch with your close contacts and ask them to self-isolate for 14 days. Your name will not be shared when they inform your close contacts. 

4. Arrange a COVID-19 test
If you have not already done so, you must now arrange to have a COVID-19 test from the NHS website or by calling 119. 

• If you get a walk-in test, you must follow all safety measures whilst travelling through the hall to get to your appointment.
• If you get a home testing kit, when the test kit arrives to halls, it will be brought to your room for you to take and sent off for testing. 

If you have already been self-isolating in your hall and your test has now returned positive:

You must update your status on MyImperial to say you have received a positive test result. You will continue to isolate for a minimum of 10 days from the onset of your symptoms. If you are in a non-ensuite room you will be moved to complete your isolation.  

If you have not yet been self-isolating in your hall have a positive test:

1. Self-isolate in your room
2. Update your COVID-19 status on MyImperial
3. Complete the Test and Trace Form for the Contact Tracing Hub

1. Self-isolate in your room 

You are expected to self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of your symptoms.

If you are in an en-suite room, you will not be permitted to leave in under any circumstance (except in case of emergency).

If you are in a non-ensuite room you will be moved to an en-suite isolation room within your hall. Please ensure you have packed a small bag of essential clothes and study items you require for the remainder of your isolation. You will not be permitted to return to your room to get anything.

Regardless of the room-type you are in you cannot use the kitchen so will need to arrange for food to be delivered to your bedroom door. You will have the option to request food from the College food delivery system. You can also make your own arrangements to access food (if you choose to do this, you must arrange for a friend/buddy within your Zone to deliver any food outside room).

2. Update your COVID-19 status on MyImperial

Update your COVID-19 status on MyImperial. You will be asked for your current address, and the date of onset for your symptoms. By updating your status, hall staff and wardens will be automatically notified and will reach out to you soon after to check you're well and have the support you need. 

You do not need to inform anyone in halls separately, however if you are unwell or need any immediate assistance, please reach out.

3. Complete the Test and Trace Form for the Contact Tracing Hub

As part of the process of updating your status on MyImperial you will be asked to complete a form for the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub (CCT Hub). The CCT Hub team will get in touch with your close contacts and ask them to self-isolate for 14 days. Your name will not be shared when they inform your close contacts. 

Follow the guidance outlines above if you have developed symptoms.

In order to protect your fellow residents, once you have started displaying symptoms you cannot leave your room under any circumstances (except in an emergency) to use any communal facilities. You will need to arrange for food to be delivered to your bedroom door. 

If you are not in an en-suite room you can leave to use your shared bathroom facilities - please use the cleaning materials provided to wipe down touchpoints before and after use. If your test comes back positive you will be moved to suitable room within your hall for the remainder of your isolation and then you will need to follow the guidance as outlined above.

You must self-isolate for 10 days or until you have received a negative test result.

If you are symptomatic, you will need to arrange for food to be delivered to your bedroom door. You will not be able to access the kitchen to prepare anything. 

You can order food from any online service if you have friends within the hall who are able to bring food to your door. Alternatively, theyou can request food support from the College. 

Once you have informed the College through the Halls reporting form and My Imperial, the Halls team will reach out to you and will be able to support you with any medical and welfare needs that you have.

If you are not in an en-suite room, you can use the bathroom facilities only whilst you are awaiting test results. Please use the cleaning materials provided to wipe down the touchpoints before and after use.

If your test comes back positive, you will be moved to an en-suite isolation room within halls.

If someone in your household zone develops symptoms, that person will need to report this as outlined in the procedures above and self-isolate immediately. They will not be able to leave their room, and will need to arrange for food to be delivered to their door.

All other members of the zone will also need to self-isolate and report this through My Imperial. You will not be able to leave the halls of residence, however, if you are not showing any symptoms, you will be able to use your kitchen and common areas, as long as you are wearing a mask and complying with all social distancing measures within the hall. 

If you start to develop symptoms you'll need to comply with the measures outlined above.

There may be a time, either when the number of cases in a hall community increases or local regulations are put in place, when it becomes necessary for all residents in a particular hall to self-isolate. This will be made in conjunction with Public Health England in order to protect our wider community.  

Whilst we anticipate that the decision to lockdown a hall may need to be made swiftly, we can assure you that 24/7 support will continue to be in place for all residents. The exact lockdown procedures will depend on the scale of the outbreak and will take into consideration factors such as the size and layout of the particular hall. Any specific measures will be communicated to you swiftly after any lockdown announcement is made. 

We appreciate this that any lockdown measures we take may be a source of anxiety for you. That's why we have in place a range of support to keep you safe and well, both in-person and virtually. Our halls staff and wardening team will be on hand to provide essential support. We will endeavour to expand our halls food support programme and provide medical support where necessary. Online, the Student Support Zone has lots of resources outlining the virtual support and advice you can receive about your wellbeing and your health.

You will not be able to use the laundry room whilst you are isolating. You are advised to wash what you need in your room (if you can) but if you need any support, please reach out to your Hall Supervisor who will be pleased to help.

The government has introduced quarantine measures for passengers arriving in England from overseas.

Under these rules, all arrivals will be required to undertake 2 mandatory COVID-19 tests – on day 2 and day 8 of their 10-day quarantine. Tests must be booked from a list of government-approved test providers at your own expense - you will not be able to use the College’s asymptomatic testing scheme.

Anyone arriving who has been in a country on the UK’s travel ban list in the previous 10 days will be required to purchase a quarantine package, which will include accommodation in a government-approved facility and testing.

If you test positive on either of your quarantine tests you must notify the College’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub and update your status on MyImperial as well as registering the result with NHS Test and Trace. This will enable us to provide you with the support you need, including free meal deliveries if you are living in College halls of residence.

You will need to stay within your household zone (except when collecting deliveries from the main entrance), wear a face covering at all times (other than in your room) and try to only use the kitchen at quieter times.

Please be aware that the other students within the household zone will be able to conduct themselves as ‘normal’.

Having been vaccinated in your home country does not currently negate your requirement to quarantine. 

You will need to report your self-isolation status on MyImperial and select the status that applies to you.

It is not possible to leave isolation within the 10 day period after being identified as a close contact to someone who has tested positive, even with a negative test. It can take up to two weeks for symptoms to develop after transmission.  A negative test within the 10 day isolation period does not definitively mean you won't still develop it. 

If you become symptomatic during your period of self-isolation/quarantine then you will need follow the procedure outlined above. To help protect your fellow residents you will need to remain in your room, and you will be unable to leave under any circumstances (except in an emergency). You will need to arrange for food to be delivered to your door.

If you are not in an ensuite room you will be able to use the bathroom facilties only. Please take extra care and use the cleaning materials provided to wipe down all touchpoints before and after use.

You can find out more about how we are supporting those who are isolating and symptomatic in our FAQs for symptomatic residents.

When you arrive in the UK, go straight to your halls of residence. If you do use public transport, wear something that covers your nose and mouth and stay 2 metres apart from other people. Pack a face covering or scarf to cover your nose and mouth before you travel. If you develop coronavirus symptoms prior to travelling, you should not travel. If you develop coronavirus symptoms during travel, you should inform the crew and any airport/train staff. 

You should remain in your room as much as possible. If you're not showing symptoms, you will be able to responsibly use communal kitchens and pick-up deliveries, as long as you’re wearing a face covering and are keeping 2 metres apart from anyone else. You shouldn’t leave your hall of residence during your self-isolation period.

Whilst you are self-isolating but are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19 you are able to use the kitchen facilties in halls.

Most major supermarkets in the UK offer online delivery services such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose – check their websites for more information on how to set this up. Many restaurants and take-away food outlets offer home delivery services too – sometimes through third party apps such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats.

You may also be able to order essential food boxes ready for your arrival. UniKitOut provides food packs alongside the bedpacks you can order to halls before you arrive.

If you do have food delivered, you will be able to collect it from the Halls main entrance as long as you’re wearing a face covering and are 2m apart from everyone else - staff will not be able to deliver any food directly to your room. 

Make sure you have a credit or debit card that will work in the UK.

You should not leave your accommodation to travel to a bank during your period of self-isolation. You may want to consider online banking options such as Monzo or PayPal. We strongly recommend you bring a credit or debit card with you to the UK that you can use when you arrive.  

You should not leave your accommodation to register with the Police in the UK during a period of self-isolation. You will not face any penalties for not completing police registration during this period. The Overseas Visitors Records Office in London handle the Police Registration process so please check their website for more information. 

This will depend on the exact size and nature of the hall you are in. If a member of your household Zone develops symptoms, you will need to self-isolate as a precaution. 

If you are well and not showing any symptoms you will be able to use your kitchen, and collect deliveries from the main entrance whilst wearing a mask. However you will not be able to use any communal facilties other than your kitchen and shared bathroom if you are not in an en-suite room.