Student accommodation at the University of Sydney will be used to house international students as they undergo 14-day periods of self-isolation due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The 200-person capacity building in Darlington will be converted into a self-isolation area for approximately eight weeks, according to an email to students seen by Guardian Australia.
Current residents of the Abercrombie building will be moved and housed in other student accommodation, before returning.
Any students who contract Covid-19 will be housed in hospital, and will not be isolated in student accommodation.
In an email to students, Mark Try, the director of student support services, said that “the university has made the decision to use Abercrombie Student Accommodation (ASA) as temporary isolation accommodation”.
“ASA has self-contained studios which have been recommended by NSW Health as the most suitable accommodation for self-isolation.”
Under current NSW Health guidelines any people returning from China, Iran or who have been in contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19 must be isolated for 14 days.
The Australian government’s travel ban on people travelling through China and Iran is still in place, and the University of Sydney said the email was part of “planning for several scenarios”, including a lifting of the ban.
Under the plan, students currently in the building will be temporarily relocated to other student accommodation run by the university.
“The university will assist you in relocating to QMB or the Regiment at no cost to you,” the email said. “A removalist company has been engaged to relocate all of your belongings from your room to your new room. All you need to do is pack your belongings after we give you 48 hours’ notice.
“Both buildings have a common room/games room, computer room and study rooms, gym and laundry facilities as well as a number of outdoor rooftop areas … We anticipate that you will be relocated for approximately eight weeks.”
They will then be moved back into the Abercrombie building after the university undertakes “a thorough clean of your room and the common areas”.
The University of Sydney said it was “planning for several scenarios”, including a “potential lift of the current travel restrictions”.
“As part of this work, this week we informed students residing in one of our residences that they may need to temporarily relocate, in order to allow for appropriate housing of any students that are booked into a university accommodation and need to self isolate.
“We’re aware that moving would be inconvenient and possibly distressing for some, and we thank any affected students for their cooperation and understanding …Always, the safety, health and wellbeing of our students is our first priority.”
In February, Australian universities denied that they were planning to use regional campuses to house returning students during their period of self-isolation.
