Dear Members of the Franklin Community,
Welcome to Week Five of the semester!
In this update: important changes regarding access to our dining services, your vaccination validation, and requirements for (re-)entering Switzerland following new Swiss federal government regulations effective today, Monday, September 20.
Eating on campus has become a little easier:
- Following consultations between the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and swissuniversities, as of today both the Dining Hall and the Grotto are open to all members of the community, without the need to show a COVID Certificate, provided they show their Franklin ID (Falcon Card) upon entry. Masks continue to be required except when seated, and guests are not allowed at this time. Students who don’t have a Franklin ID card yet should contact Fiona Perdomo; faculty and staff can email Tomaso Rizzi.
Criteria for obtaining a COVID Certificate have been broadened, but require action on your part soon:
- Foreign COVID vaccination documents for vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency and foreign COVID recovery documents of students without a Swiss Residence Permit can now be validated. Please read Dean Deborah's Friday, September 17 email to all students with instructions on how to request your Swiss COVID Certificate;
- Foreign vaccination certificates will be valid for access to events or facilities requiring a COVID certificate only until October 10, 2021. Starting October 10, 2021, all individuals in Switzerland must present a COVID Certificate for entrance to certain locations and events as required by Swiss Authorities;
- As a reminder, the Franklin Pass will no longer be valid for any purpose starting October 10, 2021.
Instead, travel into (or back into) Switzerland has additional requirements, but not if you are commuting to work in Ticino or just coming back from a shopping trip in Lombardy:
- Travelers entering Switzerland must complete the Swiss Passenger Locator Form independent of their vaccination or recovery status;
- Travelers who cannot present a COVID certificate or valid proof of vaccination or recovery must present a negative test result (antigen or PCR) upon entry into Switzerland. After four to seven days, they must take another test and send the result to the Cantonal Doctor's Office;
- Cross-border commuters are exempt from both the test and entry form requirement.
We are happy to report that we have no new cases of COVID-19 on campus this week. I want to thank everyone who has paid close attention to adhering to the guidelines for keeping our community safe. If you are feeling unwell, please remember to let your professors know that you cannot attend class in person and opt for virtual meetings with staff members.
We appreciate your efforts as you work to transition your documentation to the COVID Certificate. Not only will this keep our community safe, but it will also allow you to continue enjoying what Lugano and your academic travel destination have to offer.
Please contact via email the Coordinator of Student Medical Services and Well-Being if you have additional questions about your vaccination/recovery document or health situation.
Lastly, we are finalizing the COVID-19 testing schedule for all students immediately before and after the Academic Travel period. More information will be shared on this soon.