You no longer have to wear a visor for in person teaching at Bristol Uni

Bristol Uni are now advising that visors do not have to be worn for face to face teaching.

The announcement was made in an internal staff email last night, where the university detailed that they have made the changes based on “listening to feedback and taking evidence-based decisions where we can improve on our practices” and advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).

Before teaching began, the university originally advised only visors should be worn for face to face teaching, but this quickly changed to make both a visor and mask compulsory in indoor teaching spaces.

The email to staff said: “Following feedback from the Student Pulse Survey, debate at the recent special meeting of Senate and consideration at the University Executive Board about the impact wearing both a face-covering and visor can have on teaching and learning, we have reviewed and revised our requirement for visors to be worn in addition to face coverings in in-person teaching spaces.

“Updated SAGE and related sub-groups now advise that, while face coverings are likely to be effective at reducing the emission of respiratory droplets and aerosols containing virus into the environment, the effectiveness of standard visors as a mitigation, especially where two-metre distancing can be maintained, is now considered minimal.

“The evidence in terms of cases suggests there is little to no evidence of transmission of the virus in teaching spaces across the campus and that the risk of transmission is low. ”

All face to face teaching at Bristol Uni is to end on the 3rd of December, and be moved online, in order to observe the government’s proposed travel window for students to go home for Christmas.

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