Accommodation Guidance, Bubbles and Households
If you share facilities such as a kitchen/gyp room, bathroom, shower or toilet with others in College then you must consider that group to be a ‘household’ for the purposes of interpreting government, University and College advice. The ‘student household’ is the fundamental unit for living in. Typically it means all those people who share the same high-contact facilities in their living area (bathroom, shower, toilet, kitchen/gyp room).
Every student room in College has been allocated to a household (sometimes this is called a zone). A household or zone may range from a 1 student household to 12 students in a household. In general, a household is the number of students sharing a bathroom and/or gyp facilities. The numbers vary due to the nature and layout of College buildings.
On the pinboard of each student room there should be a note to indicate to which household/zone the room belongs, and the bathroom (if not ensuite) and gyp room which the student may use. Each bathroom and gyp room will also show a note on the outside stating which students (identified by room numbers) are permitted to use the facility. In order to minimise any potential virus transmission, you must adhere to these allocations (however tempting it may be to use another bathroom or gyp which appears to be free).
Full social distancing within a household on a routine basis is not realistically achievable on proximity grounds beyond strict personal hygiene (unless one person is symptomatic and then additional within-household segregation measures can be implemented for a period). Nevertheless, social distancing as per Government guidance between households remains a central principle. Multiple separate households may be housed within the same building connected by semi-communal entrance halls etc. Be aware of high-contact surfaces including door handles and stair bannisters in these areas.
Within each Household Group living, socialising, studying and moving around College is possible in the same group. Please note that the concept of forming a ‘social bubble’ does not apply to Magdalene College accommodation