Information Hub

Welcome back to campus! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Spring Break and are excited to return to campus for the remainder of the semester.

I am writing with good news. The University is updating its Covid protocol in light of the improving public health situation in Paris. Since my last email on February 15, the reproduction (R) number has lowered from 0.64 to 0.59 (when the number is below 1 the virus is retreating) and the rate of ICU occupancy has fallen from 65% to 45%. This means that, although we are by no means out of the woods, the situation is generally improving.

French authorities have therefore decided to loosen several restrictions: on March 14, masks will no longer be compulsory at indoor venues (at bars, restaurants, movie theaters and museums, for example) and the “pass vaccinal” will no longer be required to access those venues. Masks will still be required in all public transportation and in hospitals. As we have done since the start of the epidemic, AUP will follow the French government’s lead and adapt its Covid protocol to reflect the improved public health situation and to allow our community to resume most convivial activities. Therefore, we will no longer require masks on campus starting March 14. However, we strongly encourage students, faculty and staff to continue to wear masks in the classroom until further notice.

What remains the same?

• Masks must still be worn in all buildings on campus, without exception, until March 14. 
• Classroom protocols remain unchanged, such as the policy of keeping doors open wherever possible to aid air flow.
• We will continue to clean the common areas twice a day.
• Access to campus is still limited to current students, faculty and staff.

What is changing?

• As of today, events of over 25 people will be allowed to take place in appropriately sized rooms. Please note that student events will continue to require approval from the Office of Student Leadership.  
• Food and drink will now be permitted at all events. We still ask that you take the necessary preventive precautions for such events, including mask wearing until March 14.
• The AMEX terrace has now reopened. Masking rules still apply until March 14.
• The seating capacity of the AMEX has increased, both inside and outside.

Learn more about the new health and safety policies for AUP.

We are looking forward to the further loosening of restrictions in the near future, but until then it is imperative to continue to take necessary precautions as a community. We hope to permit additional activities on campus as the pandemic decreases in intensity, all the while closely following the guidance of the French authorities.

We hope each of you is having a successful start to the Spring semester. I am thankful that we have been able to maintain in-person learning and teaching despite this fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic brought on by the Omicron variant. The good news is that due to a high vaccination rate in France, rising numbers of Covid cases are not translating into exceptionally high numbers of patients in hospitals and intensive care units. Yesterday, Prime Minister Jean Castex updated the nation on plans to lift several Covid-19 restrictions in February. To make this possible, the French government will soon implement a vaccine pass. As you know, that pass allows you entrance to a number of venues in France. Here are the main takeaways: 

1.  On January 24, the vaccine pass (pass vaccinal) will replace the health pass (pass sanitaire). In short, this means that proof of vaccination will be required to enter various public venues such as cafes, bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, and museums, and long-distance trains (TGVs). A negative test result will no longer be accepted. To have a valid vaccine pass, you must have one of the following:  
   1. Proof of full vaccination 
   2. A certificate of recent recovery from Covid (within 6 months) 
   3. A certificate issued by a doctor and validated by the state health system stating that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. 
   4. For fully-vaccinated people, nothing will change as the vaccine pass will still be on the TousAntiCovid app. You can continue to show proof of vaccination using the app.  
2. Beginning February 2, face masks will no longer be required outdoors and restrictions on large gatherings will end. 
3. Beginning February 16, nightclubs will reopen and bars will be allowed to offer standing service in addition to table service. 
4. Masks will still be required in indoor public areas and at all times on the AUP campus. 

If you have questions about the new rules, please contact the Student Development Helpdesk at studentdevelopmentaup.edu or parentsaup.edu for family members.

I wish to remind you that even though the peak of the wave does appear to be behind us, it is vitally important that everyone on campus continue to implement the safety measures proposed by the French government to their full extent.  

Thank you again for your patience, flexibility, and cooperation. The safety of our community remains our highest priority, as it has been throughout these Covid semesters.  

As France faces down the fifth wave of the coronavirus, AUP remains committed to protecting the health of its entire community. As of Monday January 17, we will be instituting a new on-campus mask policy in line with the latest recommendations from the French government. The highly contagious nature of the Omicron variant requires more protective masks and greater vigilance over our masking behaviors.   

Beginning Monday and until further notice, cloth masks and masks of other non-regulation materials will no longer be considered sufficient for accessing AUP’s campus (including cloth masks previously distributed by AUP). Only disposable surgical masks, KN95 masks and FFP2 masks will be acceptable for use on campus. Appropriate masks can be purchased from pharmacies across Paris or online.  

Back-up masks will be available at the reception desks of all AUP buildings for emergency situations. Security personnel at building entrances will be authorized to direct community members who are not in possession of an appropriate mask either to receive one at reception or else to leave campus immediately. There will be no exceptions to the masking rule.  

This is also a reminder that masks must fit individuals correctly and be worn over the mouth and nose at all times, unless one is actively eating or drinking. According to French government recommendations, disposable masks should be changed every four hours (or as soon as they become damp), and they should be disposed of in covered trash containers only. When wearing a mask, you should avoid touching or adjusting the mask as much as possible.

To protect the health of every member of their classes, faculty members will have to ask students to leave their classrooms if masking rules are not respected--for example, if you are wearing a mask underneath your nose or if you persist in wearing a cloth mask.

We are taking this opportunity to remind you also that it is currently compulsory in Paris to wear a mask in all public spaces, including outside on the street. This has been the case since December 31, 2021. 

The health of our community remains our highest priority. Thank you in advance for respecting this new mask mandate and ensuring the Spring semester unfolds with as little disruption as possible.

In line with France’s most recent health advice to schools and universities, we are moving forward as planned with an in-person Orientation next week adjusted, of course, for health and safety protocols, and we look forward to welcoming students back to campus for the Spring semester. We feel confident, given our long experience now, that members of our community will continue to display the same responsibility for one another that they have throughout this crisis, ensuring a safe, healthy space for all who study and work at AUP. Over the two-year life of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been lucky to have had only mild-to-moderate cases in our midst and no hospitalizations of students. Thanks to daily check-ins with our Health Office, responsible management of contact cases, and attentiveness of staff and students, we have made it through thus far.

What have been the components of French success in managing Covid? First and foremost, clear communication from the government and a strong national public health program. Second, a national mask mandate in place since March 2020 without interruption and public acceptance of masking as a civic duty. Finally, a successful vaccination program is the principal strength of France’s control of the ongoing pandemic. Last semester over 95% of AUP students were doubly vaccinated, and many have already had boosters. As you know, there are compelling reasons for being vaccinated and boosted, notably that of being able to enter restaurants, museums and cinemas. We strongly encourage all returning students, if you have not already done so, to register for a booster shot as soon as you are eligible to do so, either in your home country or immediately upon your return to Paris, by using the Doctolib application to make an appointment (www.doctolib.fr). As of January 3, 89.8% of French residents over the age of 12 have received at least two doses of vaccine, and 43.1% have received a third dose.

Should your vaccination certificates originate from outside of France, including the US, you may need to follow additional steps to obtain the QR code necessary for France’s health pass program (pass sanitaire). Information about converting your foreign vaccination certificate into a health pass is available on the French government website here as well as on AUP’s website. The process can be followed either online or by visiting a pharmacy in Paris. From January 15, those who received their second dose more than six months prior and have not yet received a booster shot will no longer possess a valid health pass, prohibiting entry into bars, restaurants and cultural venues across France.

Despite the ongoing global health situation, we are looking forward to seeing you all on campus this spring, ever masked, and to delivering our very personal brand of learning in person. We hope 2022 will provide more opportunities for our international community to live and learn together in Paris, benefiting from AUP’s signature brand of global liberal arts education. For more information about the University’s Covid-19 policy, visit our online information hub. 

AUP’s leadership has followed French government health protocols assiduously from the start of the pandemic, and doing so has allowed us to keep our community safe. For the moment, universities will open in early January as planned and resume in-person teaching under the conditions to which we’ve all grown used: strict masking, social distancing, and slightly reduced class fill rates. As we monitor the progress of the fifth wave in France, we note, as is the case elsewhere, that the country is experiencing high numbers of cases, but moderate ICU bed fill rates (50-70%), suggesting that the Omicron variant is more contagious but less virulent than its predecessor.  

We are clearly at another turn in the long winding road of this pandemic when visibility is low and hopes are high that we can crest the latest wave without recourse to stricter measures. With 89.6% of its population over the age of 12 fully vaccinated already, France’s Covid-19 booster campaign is well underway, and 41% of fully vaccinated adults have received their third dose. We encourage all students to get a booster shot as soon as they are eligible, especially since that booster is now required for your pass sanitaire to remain active. In France, this means three months after the date of the second injection. Boosters are currently open to anyone over the age of 18. If you have gotten or will get your booster outside of France and before your return to Paris, we will provide information after your arrival about how to convert foreign booster certificates into the health pass.

Faculty and staff are preparing for the start of the semester, in person, as we plan to welcome all new and returning students back to campus in mid-January. We will continue to monitor the French government’s announcements and inform you every step of the way as we approach the start of the semester in just a few weeks.

You can find the University’s health and safety policies on the information hub, where we will regularly post updates in the weeks to come, which will also be sent to you via email.