Covid-19 procedures for visiting astronomers

, guests, contractors and visiting groups

UPDATED 01.03.2023

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY IN APRIL 2022

• One set of rules for all visitors.

MARCH 2023

• Remove of obligation for Declaration of Responsibility.

REQUERIMENTS FOR ACCESSING TO ING FACILITIES

Visitors (regardless origin):  

• No specific rule is in place at ING facilities regarding Covid-19. Nevertheless, you must at all times follow ING practices related to COVID-19 as instructed by their ING contact. 

• Although ING doesn’t have specific rules regarding COVID and access to ING facilities, visitors should be prudent and avoid access to the facilities when they are ill.

• After your visit: In the event that you test positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks after you left ING, we kindly ask you to notify ING Administration, to allow us to carry out appropriate tracing. 

LINKS TO OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES

For reference, the following two links give updated status of government rules from the Canarian and Spanish Governments, which the Isaac Newton Group follows to a large extent: 

• Health requisites for travellers, Canarian Government.
• Spain Travel Health. Spanish Government .

COVID-19 REGULATIONS FOR ASTRONOMERS AND CONTRACTORS VISITING THE ING

The Isaac Newton Group (ING) have maintained effective level of operation and development activities since late spring 2020. We maintain our focus and highest priority on the safety and well-being of staff, which can be effectively protected in the relative isolation of the observatory. We ask all prospective visiting astronomers and external contractors planning a visit to ING facilities to follow the guidelines given here (we remind visiting astronomers that it is necessary to follow the procedure described at our planning web pages, and in particular, to submit the ING bookings form in advance of the observations): 

Visitors (regardless origin):  The requirements for accessing to ING facilities are the following: 

1. In the two days preceding the visit to ING, the visitor must sign and submit to ING Administration (bookings@ing.iac.es) a declaration (English, Spanish, also linked below) that:
   1. They have not had covid-19 symptoms (fever, cough) in the past 8 days, and
   2. They have not had close contact with someone who is confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 in the past 14 days
2. All visitors, must send and bring one of the following documents to certify that:
   1. You have completed your vaccination cycle against COVID-19 (complete vaccination cycle information and validity of your certificate) , or
   2. You have a negative result of any of the following tests (or).
      1. NAAT- nucleic acid amplification tests (e.g.: RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, TMA, HAD, NEAR, CRISPR, SDA), with sampling within the previous 72 hours to arrival at the Telescope.
      2. RAT-rapid antigen test, with sampling within the previous 24 hours to arrival at the Telescope. 
   3. You have recovered from COVID-19 during last 6 months.
3. You must come with a provision of face masks for their use while at ING premises. A certified mask is required. Therefore we strongly recommend visitors to bring surgical masks. 
4. You must at all times follow ING practices related to COVID-19 as instructed by their ING contact. 

We realise these measures are cumbersome. But they will go a long way toward preserving the safety of the observatory environment. We do thank in advance all prospective visitors for your patience. 

Residencia services

• (who arrive from countries that do NOT belong to the European Union or do NOT have the status of Schengen associated countries)

RESIDENCIA SERVICES

Those visitors planning to use services at the ORM Residencia should additionally check Residencia COVID-19 information at at: 

https://www.iac.es/en/observatorios-de-canarias/roque-de-los-muchachos-observatory/services (English)

https://www.iac.es/es/observatorios-de-canarias/observatorio-del-roque-de-los-muchachos/servicios (Spanish)

After your visit 

In the event that you test positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks after you left ING, we kindly ask you to notify ING Administration, to allow us to carry out appropriate tracing. 

Forms (Docs need to be downloaded for properly open).

Declaration of Responsibility COVID 19 (English)

Declaración Responsable COVID 19 (Español)CHANGES TO THIS POLICY IN AUGUST 2022

• Change in the terms of the declaration of responsibility.