The Faculty of Science of the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest has banned the personal attendance of all lectures and seminars for students with immediate effect due to the threat posed by the coronavirus, hvg.hu reported. From 31st August onward, instruction in both types of classes, ie. lectures and seminars, can only be given online at the faculty.
The Dean’s Office at the faculty justifies the decision on the grounds that the recent wave of infections disproportionately affects university students, many foci of infection can be attributed to “university (but not ELTE) events” or to a large number of venues frequented by young adults.
Laboratory exercises and short field exercises at the beginning of the semester are not covered by the ban for the time being, because attendance training is especially important for these types of lessons. It will be reviewed in the coming days whether the curriculum needs to be adapted to the new situation.
The number of newly identified coronavirus infections peaked in Hungary on Saturday, when another 292 people tested positive, the highest number of cases since April 10th, when there were 210 new infections. On Sunday, regulations on the tightening of epidemiological border controls and travel restrictions were published in the Hungarian Gazette Magyar Közlöny, after Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, announced that Hungary would close its borders due to the changing epidemiological situation.
featured photo: elteonline.hu