Latest government guidance

The UK government has introduced strict restrictions relating to gatherings, which includes for socialising. These restrictions are the law and you must ensure you understand and adhere to them at all times. This applies to all students, whether you live in halls on or off campus, in private housing, or at home. The current rules are that you must not:

socialise in groups of more than six people (unless every individual is from the same household or support bubble) and whether inside or outside, including your own residence;
interact socially with anyone outside the group you are attending a place with, even if you see other people you know, for example, in a restaurant, community centre or place of worship;
hold or attend celebrations at other venues (such as parties) where it is difficult to maintain social distancing and avoid close social interaction – please note that parties are not permitted in our halls;
stay overnight away from your home with members of more than one other household (and up to a maximum of six people).

Restrictions on gatherings can be enforced by the police, who can impose significant financial penalties for breaches.

We will also take breaches of the law and of our own Health & Safety arrangements, including of government guidelines, seriously and breaches may lead to disciplinary action being taken under our Student Disciplinary Procedures.

In general, you should try to limit the number of people you see, especially over short periods of time, to keep yourself and others safe. The more people with whom you interact, the more opportunities there are for the virus to spread. As with other areas around the country where infection rates have increased, an increase of infections in the Reading area could result in stricter local lockdown restrictions being imposed.