LIVING TOGETHER SAFELY IN TIMES OF COVID-19 – 10 RULES OF THUMB

1. Consciously choose which people are part of your inner circle and who you have a close relationship with depending on your own personal situation and circumstance.

Which people do you spend most time with; your friends, roommates, study buddies, …? Based on your own situation, consider your ‘main circle’ (the people at home or at your student flat) and base your movements and activities around this set-up.

If you live at a big student dorm with separate living units, try to avoid contact with other units than your own, as they form a different bubble.

2. Set some clear rules with the other students living in your building: organize yourself and your unit in such a way that you can avoid meeting with other social bubbles in your student flat, so you can safely retain covid measures.

3. At your student room, keep visitors to a minimum and only allow people who are part of your main circle.

Don’t organise any activities in your student room, not even with your main circle.

Don’t receive external visitors. When your landlord plans a dorm visit with a candidate-tenant, it’s best if you’re not present in your room. (you have to allow visits from potential tenants to your room. The landlord has to contact you beforehand to make an appointment. Preferably you are not present during the visit. If you are present, you have to adhere to the safety measures.)

4. Always wear a face mask throughout the building when you’re uncertain if you’ll be able to maintain a safe distance (1,5m) from others.

5. Don’t organise dorm parties. By this we mean: every kind of gathering with dormmates (if they don’t belong to your main circle) – if not with food, drinks, and music – in the dorm.

Don’t organise any group activities in open air areas at your dorm unless you can safely use the space, and only with a limited circle of people and the mandatory social distancing rules in mind.

6. Never organise group activities without notifying your landlord and getting their permission.

7. Open the windows in your room several times a day for 30 minutes. Ventilate common rooms (kitchen, living room, …) often.

8. When using shared sanitary facilities:

• Close the toilet seat before you flush.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap after every toilet visit and dry them with a paper towel. If there aren’t paper towels, contact your landlord and ask them to provide some, or use your own towel.

9. When using a shared kitchen:

• Limit cooking and eating to your own social bubble. Set some rules about this with each other.
• Limit the time spent using the kitchen and only use the kitchen to cook/eat.
• Always maintain a proper distance.
• Don’t share plates, cups, cutlery, (kitchen) towels, … with others.
• Thoroughly wash everything you use before and after using it with water and liquid soap.

10. Practice basic hygiene rules:

• Regularly wash your hands with water and soap (40 to 60 seconds).
• Keep distance from each other: 1,5 meters. Wear a face mask in spaces where you might not be able to maintain proper distance.
• Refrain from touching your face.
• Cough and sneeze in your elbow. Or use a paper wipe to cover your nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing.
• Isolate yourself when you’re sick and contact your doctor.

All information and questions regarding covid: www.info-coronavirus.be

Need help?

If you want us to contact your landlord for you or if you have any other specific question please send an email explaining your situation and including your rental agreement as a pdf to your contactperson in Antwerp.