LSC Activities during the Pandemic

Updated Restrictions since 10 January 2022       

As of 10 January the clause allowing employees to undergo a serological antibody test after vaccination is no longer valid, i.e. now 210 days after a full vaccination, the employee will have to be vaccinated with a booster shot or undergo periodic testing.

Persons who have completed the antibody test before 10 January will be exempted from mandatory testing for 60 days.

For any questions regarding COVID-19, please contact your direct manager or:

Kristina Vancevičiūtė
Occupational Health and Civil Safety Service
phone +370 5 2687054
Mobile phone +370 698 43268
Email:

 

Updated Restrictions since 23 November 2021       

VU LSC Director has made an amendment to the Order on Organizing Work and Events at VU LSC. Masks to wear now should be only medical.

The following points have been added to the Order:

1. Wear medical face masks covering your nose and mouth and periodically disinfect contact surfaces in both work and rest areas at the VU Life Sciences Center.

9. In case when a staff member/doctoral student/student had a close contact with a sick person, self-isolation (or working remotely) is mandatory for those who have been vaccinated more than 120 days ago and who have not been vaccinated with a booster dose of the vaccine. They must be self-isolated for 10 days, or until the negative result of a PCR test, which must be performed no earlier than the 3rd day after the exposure, is received.

Vaccinated and re-vaccinated persons shall not be isolated after exposure if:

9.1. no more than 210 days have elapsed since a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR/antigen test;

9.2. the person has a positive serological (antibody) test (valid for 60 days from the date of the test) - not valid for vaccinated persons;

9.3. the person has been vaccinated in accordance with the full vaccination schedule and not more than 120 days have elapsed since the last vaccination;

9.4. the person has been vaccinated with a booster vaccine. A person shall also be considered to have received a booster vaccination if the person has been vaccinated in accordance with the full vaccination schedule as specified in the summary of vaccine characteristics for COVID-19 and has contracted COVID-19 disease (coronavirus infection), as confirmed by a positive SARS-CoV-2 laboratory PCR test (regardless of the order of the contraction and the order of the vaccination (or doses of the vaccine and the contraction).

In more specific cases, please consult with head of your group or director of the institute. In general cases Inga Liužinaitė, Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, will be able to provide more information. Please contact her at

 

Updated Restrictions since 19 October 2021       

 

VU LSC Director has made an amendment to the Order on Organizing Work and Events at VU LSC.

The following points have been added to the Order:

9. In cases where the employee has had close contact with a sick person, the employee must carry out all of his/her job functions, except those requiring physical presence on the premises of the VU LSC, remotely within 10 calendar days of the contact.

10. In cases where VU LSC surface testing indicates a high level of contamination (‘red level’ according to the VU LSC testing methodology) of COVID-19 virus RNA material in workrooms or laboratories, all employees working in or in close contact with persons working in that area must perform their job functions remotely. It is recommended that these workers should take an adjacent Ag or PCR test by registering by phone 1808, indicating that the worker may have been in close contact with a sick person. In these cases, the cost of the PCR test will be covered by the VU LSC upon presentation of an invoice to Vilnius University, stating the name of the person and the department.

In more specific cases please consult with head of your group or director of the institute. In general cases Inga Liužinaitė, Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, will be able to provide more information. Please contact her at

 

Restrictions since 1 September 2021   

The COVID-19 situation at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center is being closely monitored and measures are in place to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure safe operation in the LSC auditoriums and laboratories.

More than 90% of the VU LSC community are fully vaccinated with the vaccines approved by the European Union and have it confirming documents (the National Certificate [Galimybių pasas] or equivalent documents). The currently approved vaccines are BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and 14 days interval since the last shot.

Rules applied at the VU Life Sciences Center

1. In line with the decisions of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Coronavirus Prevention Group at the University, only those community members with National Certificate or EU Digital COVID Certificate (or equivalent document) and with no symptoms of COVID-19 virus can enter the LSC. Valid certificates are checked by authorized personnel at the entrance to the building.

More information online: https://gpasas.lt/?lang=en

2. The community members who do not have any of the above certificates according to Lithuanian Government requirements have to be tested every 7-10 days (testing expenses are covered). In this case, a document confirming the negative result of a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test must be submitted.

3. Inside the VU LSC employees, students and guests have to wear face masks covering the nose and mouth.

4. All the surfaces, both in the work and rest areas, are periodically disinfected by the personnel responsible for it.

5. In the lounge areas, employees are allowed to have hot drinks. These lounge areas, including the canteen on the 5th floor, can accommodate only 10 people with National Certificate or EU Digital COVID Certificate at a time. Persons without National Certificate or EU Digital COVID Certificate can eat at their office on condition that there are no other people working there at the time. It is strictly forbidden to leave dirty dishes in public places. Storage of food and drinks in laboratories is strictly prohibited.

6. Heads of departments have to determine the maximum number of staff and students working in laboratories in such a way that there is at least 10 m² of room space per person. The number of people in the laboratory is not limited if all the employees and students have the National Certificate or EU Digital COVID Certificate.

7. If unvaccinated persons work in the office, it is mandatory to observe 7 m² space per employee. The number of employees in offices is not limited on condition that only persons with the National Certificate or EU Digital COVID Certificate work there.

8. A maximum of 250 people can take part in indoor events and a maximum of 50% of the space can be filled. Participants can watch the event only from their seats. The restriction does not apply if all the participants have the National Certificate or EU Digital COVID Certificate. The event organizer has to ensure the control of certificates.

9. Unauthorized persons without an escort (a VU LSC employee / doctoral student / student) are prohibited from being on the premises of the VU LSC. These persons have to register at the security desk and indicate the time of arrival and departure.

You can follow the relevant information in the special section of VU website

 

Restrictions since 23 March 2021   

Work during the spring semester. Taking into account the quarantine situation in Lithuania and the approach of the third Covid wave, it was decided at the meetings of the Vice-deans for Studies and the LSC Board of Studies that during the spring semester of 2021, lectures, seminars, exercises and laboratory work will take place only remotely until the end of the semester.

Defence of the final theses, scheduled for June 1-12, will take place either live or remotely, depending on the situation in Lithuania at that time. Graduates will be awarded diplomas on June 29. Finis Anni Academici - the end of the school year event - is scheduled for July 1. Summer practice work live is planned from the 2^nd half of June, from today’s perspective.

Individual work of students in research laboratories. After the Easter holidays, not only final-year students but also 3^rd year BSc and 1^st year MSc students are allowed to work in research laboratories. The most important rule is security. The student has to coordinate his/her arrival with the tutor: record one’s arrival, working hours, work according to the rules of the laboratory, wear disposable gloves and a face mask, keep a distance of 2 meters, regulate the number of students at a time to maintain safe distance.

Arrival of students from another municipality. If the student lives outside the Vilnius district, he/she should apply to the LSC Department for Studies. We will issue a certificate that the student is studying at the VU and he/she has to come to the university to do research. This type of certificate will allow the student to cross the boundaries of another municipality.