(To All Faculty Members) Face-to-face Classes and Preventing Spread of COVID-19(updated January 7)

  1. Self-care for health management and preventive actions(updated January 7) 
    (Regular habit of wearing masks / Regular habit of hand washing and disinfection / Temperature check, health management / Installing COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application (COCOA))
  2. Holding face-to-face classes 
    (Campus entry / From the beginning to the end of classes / Campus exit / Contact offices for inquiries (weekdays only))
  3. If you suspect you have COVID-19
  4. If your family or housemate is suspected of having COVID-19
  5. Measures taken by University when a person tests positive for COVID-19

1. Self-care for health management and preventive actions

(1) Regular habit of wearing masks
  • Make sure to wear a mask yourself as a habit, and please also instruct every student to wear a mask at all times in public areas.
  • If it is difficult for you to obtain masks or you have damaged masks, consult the Health Center and they will help and deal with your problems.
  • When you remove your mask to eat or drink, please refrain from talking. If you want to have a conversation, please make sure to wear the mask each time.(updated January 7)
(2) Regular habit of hand washing and disinfection
  • Make sure to wash and disinfect hands while on campus to prevent spread of COVID-19. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation for campus hygiene.
  • Please pay special attention not to touch your eyes, mouth, or nose after using any items or equipment in common shared areas.
  • If you share any items or equipment, please take preventive measures by keeping them sterilized.
(3) Temperature check, health management
  • If you feel ill, you may not enter the campus or take part in research activities. If you have poor health conditions such as fever, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, and other symptoms of cold, loss of taste or smell, please stay home.
  • Make sure to check your temperature before leaving home to come for your classes. If you have even the slightest doubt about your health condition, please do not come to work and notify the Center for Academic Affairs for cancellation of classes.
(4) Installing COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application (COCOA)

COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application (COCOA) is an application recommended now by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to check on close contact with infected person.
•  Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (COCOA) COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application (in Japanese) 
•  Flyer of COCOA (in English)

<< What to do when “COCOA” notifies you “have been in close contact”: >>

  1. If you have no symptoms:
     Follow instructions of the application, consult public health centers to decide whether you should take the PCR test.
     (a) If you take the PCR test:
       Stay home until the test results are available.
       If you test positive, follow instruction so the public health center.
     (b) If you do not take the PCR test:
       You may come to work, observing any changes in your health condition for two weeks.
     (c) If you have no symptoms, but you were not able to avoid the 3Cs or there are positive or doubtful cases of infection around you:
       Take the PCR test and stay home until the test results are available.
     (d) If symptoms appear while you are observing your health condition:
       Take the PCR test:
       Even if you test negative, stay home for 8 days after onset of illness and 3 days after symptoms disappear.
       If you tested positive, follow instructions of the public health center.
  2. If you have symptoms:
    Take the PCR test:
    − Even if you test negative, stay home for 8 days after onset of illness and 3 days
    after symptoms disappear without taking any medicine.
    − If you tested positive, follow instructions of the public health center.
  3. Notifying / reporting to the University (Health Center)
    There is no need to report to the Health Center, if COCOA notifies you “have been in close contact” but you have no symptoms and there are no positive or doubtful cases of infection around you. Also, there is no need to report if you take a PCR test.
    But you must report to Health Center if you test positive.

2. Holding face-to-face classes

(1) Campus entry
  • Please try to avoid overcrowded commuting hours where close contact is expected.
  • The Main Gate only will be open for campus entry. Please show your Faculty ID Card at the gate.
    (for students, there will be non-contact temperature check, campus entry/exit will be checked by Student ID card.)
  • Students who are allowed to enter campus are the following: (other students are not allowed to enter campus)
    (a) students taking face-to-face classes held on the day (students who have registered for the classes)
    (b) students who have campus entry permission from the affiliated Department for preparing papers etc.
    (c) students who have campus entry permission from the Library to use the Library
    (d) students who have campus entry permission from the relevant offices for consultation and procedures to be taken at Career Center, Health Center etc.
    (e) students who have campus entry permission from the University for other, special reasons.
(2) From the beginning to the end of classes

1) If you use classrooms:

  • Hand sanitizers are installed at entrances of each building. Please make sure to wear masks and wash hands and use the hand sanitizers before entering the buildings. Hand sanitizers are not installed for each classroom.
  • You may use only the classrooms allotted for your classes.
  • For the face-to-face classes, classrooms are allotted considering the social distance and number of seats separated at a distance wider than the normal classroom test seats (about one-third of the normal classroom capacity). Also, classrooms are allotted to avoid overcrowding at the beginning and ending of classes, using different floors, and avoiding consecutive use of the same classroom.
  • Please give instructions to the students to sit at a distance (about 2m, at least 1m) away from each other and avoid face-to-face seats.
  • For each classroom, a seating chart is pasted for sitting at least 1m away from seats in the front or back or both sides. Please use the chart for giving seating instructions to the students.
  • If classwork requires practical work, exercise or talking, please take preventive measures such as a small number class, keeping distance from each other, wearing face shields as needed, to minimalize the spread of infection. Please make the utmost efforts to avoid activities that require much contact at close distance and talking face-to-face.
  • Please keep the doors of the classroom open whenever possible and open windows for ventilation for 10 minutes every hour.
  • If you notice any student who seems to feel ill, or the student tells you so, please notify the Health Center (03-3238-3394) immediately.
  • We will disinfect microphones before each class. When your class is over, please do not return the microphones to the battery charger but leave them outside so that it is clear the microphones have been used.
  • If students test positive to COVID-19 or are identified as close contact person by public health center, their “attendance is suspended” according to School Health and Safety Act. Also, similarly, your consideration will be appreciated to avoid any disadvantage for your students who notify you they will be absent from classes due to poor health conditions or attend online classes to avoid the spread of infection.
(3) Campus exit
  • When your classes are over, please tell your students to leave the classroom and the campus and advise them to go home promptly. Please try to leave your classroom after you have made sure all students have left the classroom. We thank you for your cooperation.
  • For students who need to continue taking online classes after your class is over, we have prepared and announced the designated classrooms (classrooms in Building 12) on Loyola.
(5) Contact offices for inquiries (weekdays only)

During the period of restriction of campus entry, all offices and service desks are closed. For inquiries, please contact the following by phone, e-mail or website:

  • Regarding classes, Loyola: Center for Academic Affairs (Academic Services)
      03-3238-3515 / Office hours: 10:00-11:30, 12:30-15:30
  • Regarding Moodle, ICT accounts, Zoom etc.: ICT Office
      03-3238-3101 / Office hours: 12:30-15:30
  • Regarding classrooms, equipment and fixtures: Office of Property
      03-3238-3112 / Office hours: 9:00-19:30
  • Regarding health consultation, report of infection: Health Center
      03-3238-3394 / Office hours: 9:30-17:00

3. If you suspect you have COVID-19

If you test positive for PCR test, or you are identified as close contact person, please immediately notify the Health Center,

  1. If your PCR test result is positive:
    Please resume face-to-face classes only when the public health center or medical institution gives you permission.
  2. If you are identified as close contact person by the public health center:
    You are not allowed to enter the campus for 14 days, counting as day 1 the day following the day on which you had the last contact with COVID positive person. Even if you test negative on further PCR test, this period cannot be shortened.
    If you receive instructions from the public health center, follow their instructions.
  3. If you have symptoms of cold, such as fever, or loss of taste and of smell:
    You are not allowed to enter the campus, for 8 days after onset of infection and 3 days after fever lowers and symptoms disappear without taking any medicine.

4. If your family or housemate is suspected of having COVID-19

  1. If your housemate is confirmed as positive:
    You are not allowed to enter the campus for 14 days, counting as day 1 the day following the day on which you had the last contact. If the housemate is ordered to stay home, you are not allowed to enter the campus for 14 days, counting as day 1 the day following the day on which the PCR test result of the housemate turns negative. (this period cannot be shortened even if your PCR test result turns negative)
  2. If your housemate is identified as close contact person by public health center:
    You may enter the campus, if the PCR test result of your housemate is negative and you have no symptoms. Entry to campus is not allowed until the PCR test result of your housemate is available.

5. Measures taken by University when a person tests positive for COVID-19

  • If a University personnel tests positive for COVID-19:
    University will begin contact tracing and take necessary measures such as disinfection according to the instructions of the public health center.
  • Measures may be taken for temporary prohibition of campus entry, changes of classrooms, switching face-to-face classes to online, depending on when and how the cases of infection occurred.

Sophia University

For Others, With Others