Bergamo, 25 August 2021
Dear all,
We would like to follow up on the note of 10 August 2021, in which we communicated the contents of Law Decree no. 111 of 6 August 2021 - entitled "Urgent measures for the safe operation of school, university, social and transport activities" - which introduces the obligation for pre-school, primary, secondary (first and second level) schools to carry out school and teaching activities in person, while for universities it has further highlighted the need to ensure that teaching and curricular activities are carried out mainly in person and which has introduced the obligation to possess and display - for all university staff and students - the Covid-19 green certification.
In order to implement the principles contained in the law decree and the ministerial indications, the Regional Decree rep. no. 669 prot. 103917 dated 25 August 2021 attached was applied, the guidelines of which were shared with the Lombardy Regional University Coordinating Committee.
The new regulations introduced by the Government have not come as a surprise, since the political and social community - and also the students themselves - have long felt the need to return universities to their traditional vocation for face-to-face teaching, without giving up the opportunities and innovations that recent digital learning strategies, adopted in exceptional situations, have managed to guarantee.
The introduction of the "Covid-19 green certification" is an important decision with a great impact on the entire organisational system of the University, aimed at strengthening and implementing the safety and public health protection standards already planned and implemented for some time, integrating the measures now known to all.
For the sake of clarity, the obligation to possess the "Covid-19 green certification" is required under current regulations:
From 1 September to 31 December 2021, the current termination date of the state of emergency;
For all university staff: it therefore concerns both teaching staff (including temporary staff) and technical-administrative and library staff;
For all students - including, quite reasonably, doctoral students, research fellows, scholarship holders, trainees, thesis students and graduates - with the sole exception, therefore, of those exempt from the vaccination campaign, on the basis of appropriate medical certification issued according to the criteria determined by the Ministry of Health.
Decree-Law No. 111/21 also provides that failure to possess and produce the Covid-19 green certification results in "...school and university staff are considered unjustified absentees and from the fifth day of absence the employment relationship is suspended and no pay or other remuneration or compensation, however denominated, is due" (article 1, paragraph 6 of Decree-Law No. 111/21, which introduces a new article, art. 9-ter, to Decree-Law No. 52/21);
A new Prime Ministerial Decree is expected in the coming days, which should specifically provide for the procedures for verifying possession of the Covid-19 green certification for university personnel.
For students, Decree-Law No. 111/21 already provides that possession of the Covid-19 green certification will be checked on a random basis: all checks will in any case be carried out in such a way as to comply with privacy legislation and taking care to process the data contained in the Covid-19 green certification within the limits and for the purposes laid down in the legislation.
Please note that on the website of the university at the link https://www.dgc.gov.it/web/ contains the guidelines provided by the Lombardy Region on how to take part in the vaccination campaign.
We invite you all once again to pay the utmost attention to the new provisions introduced by the Government, as set out in the attached Rector's Decree, and to lend your utmost willingness and cooperation to their correct and uniform implementation.
Everyone has the rights to study and work, that are enshrined in our Constitution and will always be guaranteed with fullness and effectiveness in the Italian system and, logically, also in our University. However, the primary need for everyone today is to reconcile (and certainly not sacrifice) these inescapable rights with the equally inescapable need to protect the most precious asset, our lives and those of our loved ones, as well as a socially dutiful attention to the most fragile.
We trust that this will be done as calmly as possible, in a spirit of cooperation and with respect for everyone.
With renewed cordiality,
The Rector The General Manager
Prof. Remo Morzenti Pellegrini Dr. Michela Pilot