COVID-19

 

The 1st wave of COVID-19 led to a closure of the BBL for the period from March to May 2020. The resumption of activity was then made possible by implementing strict and effective hygiene measures: compulsory and constant wearing of masks in the BBL, disinfection of hands at the entrance and regularly once on site, disinfection of surfaces and materials handled by researchers and participants between each experiment and finally the implementation of delays between experiments in order to limit as much as possible the risk of crossbreeding of participants. In each experiment room, a maximum number of people is also applied according to the surface area to keep as much physical distance between individuals as possible. Any person suffering from suspicious symptoms is asked not to come to the BBL, whether it is a participant or a researcher.

The 2nd wave of COVID-19 did not result in the closure of the laboratory this time. However, a rule was added to the existing ones: since access to the CMU is forbidden to external persons, participants must be escorted from the entrance of the CMU to the BBL and also escorted back once the experiment is over.

The measures put in place make it possible to limit the risks of spreading the virus as much as possible while allowing the research to continue.

 

Safety measures currently in place in the BBL (last update : 22/01/2021):

 

 Compulsory and constant wearing of masks in the BBL for researchers AND participants
 Disinfection of surfaces and materials between experiments
 Disinfection of hands at the entrance and regularly once on site
 Delays between experiments in order to limit the risk of crossbreeding of participants
 Escorting participants between the entrance and the BBL

 

You can find more information about the rules related to COVID-19 for the University of Geneva here.

For specific information about rules in place in the CMU (University Medical Center) click here.

To learn more about the situation in Switzerland, click here.