Lockdown 3.0: Everything you need to know as a student

Let’s have a quick look at the guidance from the UK government and what this new lockdown means for students

To start out; everybody in the UK is under a stay at home order. You must not leave your place of residence unless absolutely necessary.

Some exemptions to this rule is to



• shop for food and medicine
• to go to work or volunteer (if it cannot be done remotely)
• to exercise in your local area with those who are within your household, support bubble or one other person only
• to meet your support bubble
• to seek medical assistance or to avoid injury you might receive from staying in your household (I.E domestic abuse) 
• to attend education or childcare.



You should not be leaving your home to meet socially with anyone who is not in a support bubble with you. You must try to maintain a 2m distance from anyone not in your household to reduce the transmission of Covid-19.

This guidance applies to everyone with additional guidance provided for those who are clinically vulnerable (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19)

If you leave your house you must wear a mask in most indoor settings such as shops, places of worship and while on public transport unless you are exempt from doing so.

You can only leave your home when you have a reasonable excuse; this includes work, volunteering, essential activities for yourself or on behalf of someone else such as shopping for food or medicine, education, communal worship and other exemptions which can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home#summary-what-you-can-and-cannot-do-during-the-national-lockdown

It’s important to be aware that the Police have the right to challenge you on what your “reasonable excuse” is to be out of your house and if you are found to not have a valid reason you can be fined £200 for the first penalty, this doubles each time up to the total of £6400 so please only leave your home if it absolutely needed. If you hold or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.

In this new lockdown all HE providers have been advised to seek to limit the number of courses that return to face-to-face teaching as far as possible so for most, expect that your course will be online until mid-February.

The list of courses that are exempt from this is below, if your course is listed below should check with Coventry University to confirm what approach your course will be taking.

“On this basis, face-to-face teaching should be restricted to those reading subjects in these areas, and only where face to face teaching or placements are needed to deliver learning outcomes. Wherever possible, teaching and learning should be provided online:

1. Medicine & dentistry
2. Subjects allied to medicine/Health
3. Veterinary science
4. Education (initial teacher training)
5. Social studies (social work)
6. Exception only, a very limited number of courses which require Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) assessments and /or other PRSB mandatory activity which is scheduled for January and which cannot be rescheduled (although the presumption is that in the majority of cases, these will be rescheduled outside the period of national restrictions).

Students who are not on these courses should remain where they are wherever possible, and start their term online, as facilitated by their university or college until at least mid-February. This includes students on other practical courses not on the list above.”

For any returning students you should be tested twice upon return to your university, or you should self-isolate for ten days instead. If you live at university, you should not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time.

Any international students travelling from a country, territory or region not on the exemption (Travel Corridor) list will need to self-isolate in their accommodation for ten days from when they were last in a location not on the Travel Corridor list. 

For students who have remained somewhere other than their term-time accommodation they should avoid returning to university to collect any of their belongings which they may have left at their university accommodation over the winter break. However, students can travel back to collect any medical equipment or items required for online learning if it essential.

If a student tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) they are required by law to self-isolate for a period of 10 days.

Anyone who has symptoms – or who lives in the same household as someone with symptoms – should continue to self-isolate while waiting for the results of their test.

If their test result is positive, it is essential to continue self-isolating to prevent transmitting the virus to other people. The person who has tested positive must continue to self-isolate for 10 days from when they first developed symptoms – or longer if they still have a high temperature.

However, if coronavirus symptoms get worse it is important that they seek medical attention. Other members of their household must continue to self-isolate for 10 days from the day after the individual tested positive. There is guidance at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/what-to-do-if-symptoms-get-worse/ 

Coventry University have been very proactive in communicating updates to students throughout the pandemic including a weekly roundup of all updates as well as responding to daily updates when available. So as always keep checking your university email to see updates that are specific to Coventry University.

Below are several helpful links that have come through emails sent by Coventry university that have further information that could be useful for you in this season.



• Connections Matter 
• Student News page
• Student FAQs
• Ways to get support 



Stay safe everyone and remember to look out for one another by following the government guidance and staying home as much as possible and accessing as many online services as you can.

If you have to leave your home then you can help by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, wearing a mask as much as possible, limiting your time around others and by giving people as much space as possible when out and about.

All information was taken from… https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses