No more masks in public transportation, no more testing required for access to large events, and no more mandatory quarantine when infected. The last corona measures were dropped earlier today, which has some students considering attending exams even when infected.

While people are still strongly advised to quarantine after being infected with corona, this is no longer mandatory, starting today. This marks an end to all the official corona measures of the past few years. Pedagogics students Lena (21), Mette (19), Jochem (21) and Sofie (20) can see the difference all too well. ‘Nobody is really being careful anymore’, they say during their break on the sunny patio of the Cultuurcafé. Their day-to-day lives have returned to normal. ‘Everybody seems to have accepted that they will eventually get sick.’

‘I will just not get tested’

However, Radboud University urges everyone to be considerate of each other; there are still plenty of students and employees afraid of getting infected. ‘Because they’re especially vulnerable, for instance, or because they want to protect their relatives.’ University spokesperson Martijn Gerritsen calls on everyone who is symptomatic to get tested and stay home in the case of a positive test result. ‘We want to appeal to everyone’s personal responsibility to keep their fellow students and the university employees safe from harm.’

Preventing Dilemmas

It is doubtful whether students will listen to that appeal with the exam weeks on the doorstep. Sofie: ‘Last period I missed an exam because of corona. If I were to get corona right before the resit and I would feel well enough, I would go to the exam. Otherwise, I would have to wait a whole year.’ She is unsure whether she would make the same decision if it concerned the first opportunity of an exam. ‘If I took a self-test that turned out positive, that would be a difficult decision.’ Lena knows a solution to this dilemma: ‘I will just not get tested.’

‘The measures were dropped for a reason’

Jochem is sympathetic to his fellow students. ‘The measures were dropped for a reason.’ Additionally, the temptation to take your exams even when you have corona is very big; the university does not offer online exam opportunities, nor an automatic third chance. Mette knows someone who may have had corona but was not allowed to retake a presentation. ‘So she did the presentation anyway.’

No Additional Arrangements

According to Gerritsen, additional measures to prevent this sort of thing are not necessary. ‘We have agreed that, if you run the risk of a study delay because of corona, you can look at your options with your study advisor. Besides that, there are regular exam opportunities, and the exam committee has significant say when it comes to decisions.’

Jochem does understand the university’s stance. ‘If the rules were laxed, I think students would quickly take advantage; if you’re not going to make a deadline, for instance. I think the university is aware of this.’

It must show what this means for the next exam period. Gerritsen is very clear on the university’s policy. ‘From the beginning we have adhered to the governmental guidelines, and we will continue to do so.’