Candidates for JCR positions will not be permitted to canvass door-to-door this year, to “ensure the health and safety” of staff and students in Trinity Hall.
The ban comes after College sent an email to residents in Halls and on-campus informing them that they were no longer permitted to host non-resident guests in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In addition to the door-to-door canvassing ban, hustings for the elections will be live-streamed this week instead of having a live audience.
In a post on Facebook, JCR said: “The campaign period is continuing but there is going to be a few changes to how things usually run.”
“Hustings will be live-streamed”, the post said. “ONLY those running for positions are to present themselves at the canteen tomorrow at 6pm. There will be NO AUDIENCE. If you would like to ask a question you can do this by commenting on the live stream.”
The annual JCR Birthday event has also been cancelled, the post said.
“Door to door campaign is NOT PERMITTED. Please note these actions are being taken from the advice of the college to ensure the health & safety of it’s [sic] staff and students.”
The post also said that the JCR is working with the Electoral Commission and Senior Common Room in order to develop a voting system that is “both safe and fair”.
An email was circulated to Halls residents today following up on the news that a person in Trinity had contracted the virus.
Hall Warden Roja Fazaeli wrote: “I am aware that many of you will be feeling anxious and looking for as much guidance and reassurance as the University can provide.”
“To prevent the spread of the virus, Trinity has implemented a ban on all students traveling from high-risk areas from attending college for 14 days after the date of their return”, Fazaeli said. “Presently this includes China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Iran, Japan and certain regions of Italy designated as high risk by the HSE or the Italian government, which include: Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna or Piedmont.”
“Of course some people returning from high-risk areas will have no other accommodation in Ireland other than their Trinity accommodation. In these cases, residents will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days and should make contact with reception BEFORE returning to Trinity accommodation.”
Fazaeli continued: “If you are coming from a high-risk area, please ring 01-896 8024 before you make your way to your accommodation. This is an essential step in ensuring that we are prepared to care for your health and the health of your fellow residents. Please be assured that you are very much part of the College community and welcome in your accommodation, but we are all best served by these precautions.”
“A final category of people, those who have underlying health issues, including problems with their immune systems or chronic respiratory conditions, or those who are elderly, should consider staying away from Trinity accommodation if other accommodation is available until further notice; this is in order to minimize the possibility of getting the virus. Students in these categories should contact their tutors and the head of their respective disciplines in order to avail of academic support.”
Fazaeli reiterated that Halls residents were not permitted to have non-resident guests on site.
In an email sent to students living in on-campus accommodation last week, Neal Murphy, Trinity’s head of accommodation, said: “In all cases, students in Trinity accommodation are now prohibited from having non-resident guests on site.”
These precautions come following a confirmed case of the coronavirus on campus last week. In an email sent to staff and students, Provost Patrick Prendergast said that “the relevant part of the University (Floor 4 of the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute), and the lifts in TBSI, have been closed as a precautionary measure and will be cleaned in accordance with HSE guidelines”.
Last week, The University Times reported that final-year medicine students could be forced to take crucial clinical assessments a month before they were initially scheduled to take place, due to ongoing fears about the threat of the coronavirus.
The University Times also reported that the fate of this year’s Trinity Ball was uncertain after the College left open the possibility that it could be shut down if the HSE advises it.
An online petition to allow students to study online rather than in College was launched last week and has now gathered over 1,100 signatures.
