Covid-19 information for Rome Campus

All ACU travellers (students and staff) must:

• ensure they have access to and are covered under the University’s travel insurance policy (they may also be covered under a relevant home state/territory workers compensation policy when engaged in work-related activities);
• check with their airline or travel company for the latest travel information; and
• avoid destinations that require a period of hotel quarantine (for Italy, hotel quarantine is not required - see requirements to access the ACU Rome Campus and to enter Italy below).

Vaccination requirements

• A ‘Super’ Green Pass is the Italian Digital COVID-19 certificate obtained after being vaccinated against COVID-19 or after recovering from COVID-19.
• Green passes are no longer required in Italy, except for visitors to hospitals and nursing homes.
• Patients seeking treatment in hospitals no longer require a green pass.

• We do still however recommend you carry a copy of your vaccination certificate (digital and print) with you at all times when in Italy and also a copy of the statement 'Recognition of Australian-issued COVID-19 vaccination certificates (ICVC) in Italy' (downloadable from the Australian Embassy in Rome’s COVID-19 Portal for Travellers under 'What to do if you don't have a 'Super' Green pass?').
• Refer here for up-to-date information before and during travel.

Vaccine eligibility

• Vaccination certificates issued abroad are recognised in Italy if the vaccine is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) (including Pfizer-BioNtech Comirnaty, Moderna, Vaxzevria, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Nuvaxovid (Novavax)) or is considered equivalent by the Italian legislation (Covishield, Fiocruz, R-Covi)) and if the certificate contains the following information: personal details of the holder, details of the vaccine, date(s) of administration of the vaccine, identity of the certificate issuer. The above information must be written in one of the following languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish or German. If issued in a different language, it must be accompanied by a sworn translation.
• A vaccination exemption for medical reasons only is permitted upon presentation of required documentation.

• The Rome Campus can organise for students or staff who wish to get a vaccination, through the Community of Sant’Egidio Vaccination Hub.

Travel outside Italy

• Should you undertake personal travel to other destinations you will be responsible for checking any COVID-related restrictions or measures at your destination location as well as between those countries and Italy. You should also ensure your travel insurance policy covers personal travel.
• European countries have relatively widespread COVID-19 vaccination checks. You can find out more about the EU Digital COVID Certificate on the European Commission’s website. COVID-19 testing is no longer required for travel within Europe.
• Some countries may require a Passenger Locator Form to be completed before entry. Check the Australian Government Smartraveller website for details.

Further information

• Entry into Italy: Covid-19 green certificates, equivalents and exceptions, Italian Ministry of Health
• Travel and safety advice for Italy, smartraveller website, Australian Government
• European Commission’s advice for non-EU citizens travelling to the EU

• Teaching staff are required to keep a daily register of student attendance.
• All other visitors (including visiting teaching staff) must register each day at Reception.
• Daily attendance registration is required by law in Italy and may be used by campus staff for health and safety purposes such as Coronavirus contact tracing and in the event of an emergency evacuation. Data will be stored and managed in accordance with the relevant privacy legislation.

• It is no longer a requirement to keep a daily register of participant attendance at conferences and events.
• It is recommended that conference attendees should test before they travel directly to the conference and not travel if they have any symptoms.
• Participants with the exception of active speakers are recommended to wear masks.

• Face masks are no longer required but are recommended.
• Face masks are recommended inside enclosed public spaces and outdoors if you cannot physically distance.
• If you are a close contact of a probable or confirmed positive COVID-19 case, refer to this Isolation, quarantine and close contacts guide.

• We recommend physical distancing where possible in classrooms, meeting rooms and all communal areas on the campus.
• In our staff offices, only one visitor is allowed at a time.
• You are encouraged to use the hand sanitiser stations located throughout the centre.
• Sanitiser wipes are provided in shared spaces and visiting staff offices so you can wipe down the keyboard and mouse before and after use.
• Our campus cleaning regime meets COVID-19 hygiene standards.

• You must not attend the campus if you are feeling unwell, awaiting test results and/or have symptoms. If you start presenting with symptoms while on campus, you should return home.
• If you have symptoms, you should do a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or Lateral Flow Test (LFT).
• ACU students, staff and visitors who test positive for COVID-19 must notify the university by completing the COVID-19 reporting form for staff or the COVID-19 reporting form for students and visitors.
• See isolation requirements and arrangements below for next steps.

• If you test positive to COVID-19 and are fully vaccinated and have received a booster in the last 120 days, you must isolate for five days of which the last two days must be without symptoms. All other positive cases must isolate for at least 10 days, of which the last three days must be without symptoms.
• Isolation ends only with a negative certified rapid antigen or PCR/LFT test result (or, if you continue to test positive and have no symptoms after five days, isolation ends after 14 days).
• After your isolation period, you can re-enter the campus following presentation of the COVID recovery certificate issued by the local health authorities.
• We will provide support to students and visiting staff if you have to isolate, including informing your accommodation provider and those who may have been sharing a room or staying at the same property with you.

Refer to this Isolation, quarantine and close contacts guide for up to date isolation requirements.

• Asymptomatic close contacts, must go on a 14-day quarantine from the last day that they were in contact with the patient, without having to submit to a swab test, or 10 days from the last exposure but after testing negative to an antigenic or molecular test administered on the 10th day. 
• Symptomatic close contacts, in this case, it is advisable to immediately turn to the general practitioner for an evaluation of the situation and on the need to take a test.

For the purpose of the EU case-definition, a close contact of a confirmed case is defined as:

• A person living in the same household as a COVID-19 case;
• A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case (e.g. shaking hands);
• A person having unprotected direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g. being coughed on, touching used paper tissues with a bare hand);
• A person having had face-to-face contact with a COVID-19 case within 2 metres and > 15 minutes;
• A person who was in a closed environment (e.g. classroom, meeting room, hospital waiting room, etc.) with a COVID-19 case for 15 minutes or more and at a distance of less than 2 metres;
• A healthcare worker (HCW) or other person providing direct care for a COVID-19 case, or laboratory workers handling specimens from a COVID-19 case without recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) or with a possible breach of PPE;
• A contact in an aircraft sitting within two seats (in any direction) of the COVID-19 case, travel companions or persons providing care, and crew members serving in the section of the aircraft where the index case was seated (if severity of symptoms or movement of the case indicate more extensive exposure, passengers seated in the entire section or all passengers on the aircraft may be considered close contacts).

Refer to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s Surveillance definitions for COVID-19.

For life threating emergencies call 112, English speaking operators are available.

ACU students and staff can also access the Rome campus emergency line call collect +44 208 762 800 or website: InternationalSOS or refer to the Italian Ministry of Health National Information Line

Staff and students should also log reports of work-and-learning related incidents, injuries and illnesses within riskware. Staff can access workers compensation in their home state/territory if they are impacted by a work-related injury or illness while in Rome.

• To Australia: Please refer to the information about Entering and leaving Australia on the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs website and the COVID-19: Re-entry and quarantine measures on the Smartraveller website to check the latest information.
• For re-entry to other countries, please refer to the relevant government website to check any COVID-19 testing or other requirements.

If you have a question that has not been answered above, please contact us.

We will continue to review the situation in line with Italian and Australian Government advice. View the University's latest COVID-19 information.