COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19: Easing of Safe Management Measures

• In light of the easing of community Safe Management Measures (SMMs) in Singapore, all vaccinated NUS staff and students will not require a Fast and Easy Testing (FET) ART result to enter campus from Mon 4 April onwards. View the full version of the latest circular here.
• For the latest COVID-19 updates by NUS, please refer to https://emergency.nus.edu.sg
• For the latest updates by OSHE, please visit the Circulars list at https://emergency.nus.edu.sg/circulars/

Streamlining of Safe Management Measures

• FET requirements for all staff and students
  • All staff and students are still required to have a valid FET result before they are allowed on campus (see Circular 34/2021). The need for regular FET will be reviewed.
• Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) on Campus 
  • All individuals (including visitors) entering NUS campuses will need to be:
    a) vaccinated, or
    b) have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 180 days, or
    c) medically ineligible for vaccination.
    It is the responsibility of the NUS host to ensure their visitors comply with VDS requirements. Individuals who are not in the above-mentioned three categories may be turned away.
• Mask-on classes, lectures, exams
  • All mask-on classes, lectures, exams and non-SSG funded Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes can be conducted without any zoning or VDS requirements. Safe distancing is encouraged, but not required between individuals or groups. Classes may have up to 1,000 participants (inclusive of instructors and other staff on-site).
• Mask-off classes
  • Mask-off classes will continue to be capped at no more than 30 persons, including the trainer(s), with VDS. Classes involving mask-off activities are to be conducted in groups of no more than 5 persons, with strict 1m safe distancing between groups
• View the full version of the latest circular here
• For the latest COVID-19 updates by NUS, please refer to https://emergency.nus.edu.sg
• For the latest updates by OSHE, please visit the Circulars list at https://emergency.nus.edu.sg/circulars/

Face to Face Classes To Resume

In alignment with the national stance to return to normalcy as a COVID-19 resilient nation, the University intends to accelerate our technology-enhanced education trajectory, and resume face-to-face (F2F) classes wherever appropriate, to the extent allowed by prevailing Safe Management Measures.

As shared in our earlier announcement in October 2021, in-person attendance is expected for all NUS Computing modules with F2F classes and exams.

As international travel to Singapore is now possible, all international students are expected to attend classes in-person in Semester 2 of AY 2021/2022. Undergraduate students who are still overseas are required to make arrangements to travel to Singapore immediately.

Vending Machines for FET kits
For greater convenience and easier accessibility to FET kits, NUS has installed vending machines dispensing FET kits across Kent Ridge Campus. Staff and students are issued FET kits free of charge.

• You may locate the vending machines at:
  a. Central Forum – opposite Central Library main entrance
  b. Yusof Ishak House – Level 3, opposite OSA office
  c. Faculty of Science – LT 27 & LT 28 Foyer
  d. UTown ERC – at ERC roundabout (drop-off/pick-up point)
  e. UTown SRC – opposite the gym

For more information on how to get your FET kits from the vending machines, please refer to page 6 of Circular 36.
For more information on FET kits and the vending machines in general, please refer to Circular 36.

For the latest COVID-19 updates by NUS, please refer to https://emergency.nus.edu.sg/
For the latest updates by OSHE, please visit the Circulars list here.

Classes & Exams For AY 2021/2022, Semester Two
With the high vaccination rates in our NUS community, NUS Computing will be having maximal F2F classes for next semester with prevailing safe management measures.

In-person attendance is expected for all NUS Computing modules with F2F classes and exams.

For such modules, the online option will only be made available for students who are:

1. Serving Self isolation Orders issued by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH), or Stay Home Notices issued by Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
2. Affected by border controls that are listed on the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) website
3. Facing travel restrictions imposed by governments (supporting documents from Local Officials are required)

If your situation does not belong to any of these categories, you are expected to attend classes and exams in person. 

Collection of FET Kits

Staff and students will be issued FET kits free of charge. The test kits can be collected at the following collection points till Thursday, 28 October 2021:

Collection Details:

Walk in anytime from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at any of the following collection points, till Thursday, 28 October 2021:

• Ventus Building (nearest to NUS Computing)
  Next to Reception Office
  Mon and Wed only

• University Town
  Visitor Centre, Stephen Riady Centre, Level 1 (next to Rock Climbing Wall)
  Tues and Thu only

• Yusof Ishak House
  Office of Student Affairs, Level 3
  Tues and Thu only

Staff and students who are vaccinated will be eligible to collect 1 box of 2 kits free of charge per week after having uploaded 2 test results.

Staff and students who are unvaccinated will be eligible to collect a maximum of 1 box of 2 test kits free of charge per week after having uploaded 4 test results onto uNivUS. They have to purchase the additional box of 2 kits at their own cost to complete the uploading of 4 test results, before they are eligible to collect the next 1 box of 2 test kits free of charge.

Staff and students who are unvaccinated due to medical reasons should visit University Health Centre (UHC) for a free medical consultation on their vaccination eligibility. If approved by the UHC doctor, you will be eligible to collect 1 box of 2 kits free of charge per week after having uploaded 2 test results.

Your eligibility to collect the kits will be indicated in your uNivUS app.

For more information on FET kit collections and testing, please read Circular 24 by the NUS Office of Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE).

For the latest COVID-19 updates by NUS, please refer to https://emergency.nus.edu.sg/

For the latest updates by OSHE, please visit the Circulars list here.

Collection of FET Kits

NUS students who are not staying in any of the NUS hostels may collect their FET kits at any of the collection points below. No appointments needed - simply walk into the collection points below.

Collection Details:

Walk in anytime from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays only, at any of the following collection points, till further notice.

• Yusof Ishak House
  Paris/Tokyo Room, next to Office of Student Affairs, Level 3
• Ventus Building (nearest to NUS Computing)
  Visitor Reception Office
• University Town 
  Visitor Centre, Stephen Riady Centre, Level 1 (next to Rock Climbing Wall)

For NUS students who are staying at NUS hostels, please collect your test kits from your respective Halls, RCs, and Residences ONLY. Do not collect your FET kits from other campus collection points.

Collection of FET Kits After Office Hours

Students who are unable to collect the FET kits during office hours, may collect them after office hours by booking a slot at www.bit.ly/NUSSUFET 

Collection Details:

Mon, Wed & Fri only, from 23 Aug - 17 Sep
7:00 - 9:00 PM
NUSSU Secretariat
#05-01 Yusof Ishak House
Lower Kent Ridge Road

Revised safe management measures (SMMs) on NUS campuses

Effective Mon 14 June 2021:

a. The social gathering group size will be increased from 2 persons to 5 persons. The number of social gatherings is limited to no more than two a day.

b. Face-to-face classes will remain capped at a maximum of 50 persons (including teaching staff) per venue, with prevailing SMMs implemented.

c. Working from home will remain as the default work arrangement until further notice. There is no change in work arrangements for academic staff and lab-based research staff.

Please view NUS Office of Safety, Health & Environment’s (OSHE) Circular 19 for more details.

COVID-19 vaccination for staff and students

As announced in the NUS Office of Safety, Health & Environment’s (OSHE) Circular 17 and Circular 18 respectively, the Ministry of Education has extended COVID-19 vaccination to NUS staff and students. Vaccination is a key enabler to protect ourselves and our loved ones against COVID-19, minimise transmission in the community and enable Singapore to re-open further, allow more social activities to resume, and facilitate the recovery of our economy.

We strongly encourage everyone to sign up for vaccination as soon as possible, if you are medically eligible:

a. Eligible students would have received an SMS invitation to book your vaccination. For students under the age of 18, SMSes have been sent to your parents or legal guardians instead as parental/guardian consent is required. If you have not received your SMS invitation, please log in with your NUSNET ID to https://forms.office.com/r/wm2TewKDR3 to update your Singapore-registered mobile number in our student records.

b. NUS staff under the age of 40 would have received an SMS invitation to book your vaccination. If you have not received your SMS invitation, please let us know at ohrbox5@nus.edu.sg

To avoid duplicate entries within the system, staff should not self-register again via www.vaccine.gov.sg if you have already booked your vaccination appointment under the MOE prioritisation exercise.

c. As announced on 10 June 2021, Singaporeans aged 12 to 39 years can register interest for vaccination via www.vaccine.gov.sg from 11 June 2021. We encourage Class of 2021 graduates to sign up for vaccination if they are medically eligible.

Please continue to observe all safe management measures on our campus, which include safe distancing, wearing of masks at all times, declaration of temperature through uNivUS, and the use of both TraceTogether and NUSafe app. If you are unwell, please be socially responsible and see a doctor immediately.

Tightened Safe Management Measures at NUS

On 14 May 2021, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced new tightened measures to arrest the increasing number of cases in the community. In response to these latest COVID-19 safe management measures, NUS will be implementing the following measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the community. These measures will take effect from Sunday, 16 May 2021 through Sunday, 13 June 2021. Please click here to read about the new measures.

SoC Plans For AY2020/2021, Semester 2

Zoning within campus will end on December 6. Furthermore, Singapore is likely to move into phase 3 sometime soon.

There will still be limits on how many students can be in one room, and the usage of masks and safe distancing is still required.

With this, we hope to have as many face-to-face classes as possible, if space permits. This would be mostly for smaller classes.

We will have online options for large classes, but smaller classes may no longer have online options. This would also apply to small group tutorials and labs. More details on this would be given as the start of the semester nears.

Thus, we hope that all international students will make plans to come back to campus for Semester 2 in AY 2020/21. Otherwise, they may not be able to take all their planned classes as some of these classes may not have online options at all.

Please look out for more email updates and stay tuned to this web page for any further information.

Provost’s Chair Professor Sanjay Jain
Vice Dean of Undergraduate Affairs and Academic Affairs
NUS Computing

Some students have been asking and are worried about whether e-learning options will be available throughout the semester.

Considering that the COVID-19 situation has not been improving in many parts of the world, we have decided to make e-learning options available throughout the semester for all NUS Computing modules. This includes lectures, tutorials, labs and exams.

However, if you are able to come to campus, we strongly encourage you to come to campus as face to face learning and interaction are a critical component of university learning.

Professor Mohan Kankanhalli
Dean
NUS Computing

Click here to read the full updates for 2 and 17 July 2020.