Following the UK Prime Minister’s announcement, we will be closing the Cambridge Office on 24 March 2020. 

This means that both our Amsterdam and Cambridge locations are now closed and all GÉANT staff are working from home. We are confident that we can do so with minimal disruption. You can contact us as always via the established email addresses and telephone numbers. 

GÉANT Operations
Please see here for updates. 

Information from around the web:

Coronavirus

• Coronavirus data reveals how CIVID-19 is spreading in Australia (abc.net.au)
• Novel Coronavirus: advice for public (World Health Organisation)
• Our world in data: Coronavirus
• COVID-19 (The Conversation)

Teaching & Learning online resources

• Understanding network impacts of increased online learning (Internet2)
• Teaching online in the present crisis.What you ned to know now (Campus Morning Mail)

Running virtual conferences and sessions

• RDA suggestions for running remote sessions (Research Data Plenary)

Working from home

• Why virtual Co-working Rocks
• GitLab’s Guide to All-Remote
• Quick, work remote! A guide on how to set up your remote working strategy

Dear Kantara Members,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Board and Staff to say that we have you in our minds and in our hearts as we face this global COVID-19 crisis together.

Our extended community is spread around the world and we are present in every continent. For many of us, working from home and in physical social isolation for short periods is not unusual nor uncomfortable such is the nature of 'net communications that we are so familiar with. Tho' for many, it is uncomfortable and we must use our powers of understanding to build the same confidence we have in ourselves, in others around us.

Kantara's staff are located in Italy, Spain, the UK, Argentina and the US. We will continue to serve you 'business as usual' to the best of our ability, leveraging the timezone differentials that is so advantageous to an international organization like ours.      

Even before the full extent of the pandemic was known, we were seeing significant changes in our industry due to emerging economic realities. It is going to be tough for all of us without doubt, but the Kantara community has weathered economic storms before and it will weather this one with your unflinching support - just as Kantara's support will be unflinching in helping you or your organization.

Stay safe and empowered. You, and Kantara everywhere, will get through this.     

Best wishes

GÉANT Exec / Health & Safety Committee

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

I would like to say again, how glad I am that we have a standing H&S committee in GÉANT. We have worked together for many years (and trust me, it has never been as lively as now) and we see the benefits of this well-established trusted relationship between the Health and Safety Officer, representatives of GÉANT’s Executive Team, the Dutch PVT and members of staff from our locations in Cambridge and Amsterdam. So, first of all, thanks to all colleagues who have been in the H&S Committee in the past and who are in it now. We have a structure we can rely on and that is a blessing now.

The following is a summary to staff and contractors of the COVID-19 related discussion we had in the H&S meeting today, 17 March 2020.

Amsterdam Office

The Amsterdam office will be closed as of tomorrow, 18 March 2020. When we say closed, we mean closed. If there are any extraordinary reasons, why anybody feels they need to go to the office after tomorrow, you have to let Hanna, your line manager and your respective Exec know and get permission.

Cambridge Office

At this point in time, the Cambridge office will remain open. Note, please that in City House additional precautionary cleaning was carried out to areas of the building today (17 March) following reports of a person from Rathbones who had been in recent contact with a person now showing possible symptoms. This is not a confirmed case – just sensible preventative measures taken by all concerned.

As already stated yesterday, all of you who have concerns about coming to the office, please feel free to work from home. If you wish to come to the office, please do so. However, do not come to the office when you

• Have even mild symptoms
• If you or somebody you live with belong into the group of people who are considered in the high-risk group
• If anybody you have been in contact with has developed symptoms
• If anybody you live with has developed symptoms

We trust you to use your sense of responsibility here – please help us protect each other and to flatten the curve.

• Social distancing

Please practice social distancing, also in the office. Don’t sit in clusters, make sure to keep distance, avoid any physical contact.

• No Hotdesking

Please make sure to use one desk and one desk only.

• Visitors to the Cambridge Office

Please note that until further notice, there should be no meetings involving external visitors held in the Cambridge Office. A decision on the ongoing training course will be taken today. We believe that it is unlikely that the auditors, who have been visiting us will be coming back. Please ensure all meetings in the foreseeable future are organised via VC.

Home working

We have to get prepared for a scenario in which we will all have to work from home over a longer period of time.

• Home office set up

A subgroup of the H&S committee and IT will meet to discuss how we can improve home office environments, where necessary. Note that we are not only considering monitors, but also general ergonomics, ie chairs, etc. Please watch this space.

• Taking care of each other – collecting ideas for a Buddy System

Coming to the office is an important part of our daily routines. Humans are social animals and working in isolation does not come natural to many of us. Please make sure to stay in touch with each other. We would like to invite ideas on how to best develop a “buddy system” to ensure that we all have somebody else to check in with at a regular basis. For some of you this will happen naturally, but we need to make sure that each and every one of us has a buddy at all times. There are examples in the Amsterdam office already where this is being put in place – but if you have an idea how this could be set up in a practical and inclusive way for all of us – please speak to me.

A reminder what to do, if you or somebody you live with has symptoms

In the event that you suspect that you may have contracted, or been exposed to, COVID-19, it is important that you contact the correct people in GÉANT to discuss your situation. 

Every day there is a designated Exec Team Member and HR representative who will deal appropriately with the matter and communicate as required with GÉANT staff. You can find the rota on the COVID-19 wiki space: https://wiki.geant.org/display/CC/COVID-19+Contact+Rota

In the Netherlands:

All advice is summarized here: https://www.rivm.nl/en/novel-coronavirus-covid-1

In detail, this states:

Do you have symptoms of a cold, or a fever of up to 38.0 degrees Celsius?

If so, stay at home, allow the illness to run its course and make sure that you do not infect others. You should therefore distance yourself from other people. You do not need to call your GP. Your symptoms are mild.

Are your symptoms worsening?

• Do you have a fever (more than 38 degrees Celsius) and are you coughing or having difficulty breathing?

If so, you should call your GP or the out-of-hours medical centre. Get in touch immediately if you are experiencing severe symptoms.

In the UK:

Current UK advice is to use the online services at https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 

Avoid calling NHS111 directly wherever possible. 

Many thanks again for reading and let’s keep working together and ensure we come through this as one!

COVID-19: CANARIE Update

We are closely monitoring announcements from our government and health authorities and are taking proactive steps to protect our staff and our communities.

Effective March 16, all CANARIE staff will work from home to practice social distancing as recommended by health authorities. Our return to the office will be determined by how this situation unfolds in Ottawa, where we are headquartered. All business operations will continue as normal and we will work diligently to ensure that we are serving the needs of Canada’s research and education community, and our partners and colleagues around the world.

All updates related to CANARIE’s activities in relation to COVID-19 will be made on this page.

During this time of shared challenges, we wish you and your loved ones health.

Jim Ghadbane
President and CEO

On behalf of the CANARIE Team

CANARIE
(Canada)

National Research and Education Network

Together with our partners in Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN), we are working to ensure that NREN infrastructure continues to support the needs of Canadian research and education communities as the COVID-19 situation evolves.  Our network teams are on alert and sharing information as they monitor network operations across the country. Normal network escalation protocols remain in effect. Should you need to contact a member of our network team, please see:

Network Operations Centre

• For network outages and scheduled maintenance please visit our Network Support page.
• 24/7 Telephone – 613.944.5612
• On-call Engineer – 613.944.5611

Escalation Procedures

In the event of an unscheduled problem or outage, contact our Operations Centre during weekdays between 08:00-17:00 Eastern Time (UTC-5) as follows:

• Engineering Team: noc@canarie.ca – 613.944.5611
• Chief Engineer: Thomas Tam – thomas.tam@canarie.ca – 613.944.5609
• Chief Technology Officer: Mark Wolff – cto@canarie.ca – 613.943.0460

Provincial and Territorial NREN Partners

• Alberta – Cybera: J.F. Amiot | 403.210.5314 | jfamiot@cybera.ca
• British Columbia – BCNET: Clarence Lee | 778.782.7764 | clarence.lee@bc.net
• Manitoba – MRnet: Gerry Miller | 204.224.4988 | mrnetoran@gmail.com
• National Capital Region – Federal GigaPoP: Bruce Wood | 613.299.3941 | bruce.wood@ssc-spc.gc.ca
• New Brunswick – Educational Computer Network (ECN): David Totton | 506.447.3386 | dtotton@unb.ca
• Newfoundland and Labrador – ACORN-NL: Steve Greene | 709.864.8329 | sagreene@mun.ca
• Northwest Territories – Aurora College: Jason Panter | 867.872.7010 | jpanter@auroracollege.nt.ca
• Nova Scotia – ACORN-NS: Todd Williams | 902.453.2351 | todd.williams@itsharedservices.ca
• Ontario – ORION: Mark Grant | 416.420.4592 | mark.grant@orion.on.ca
• Prince Edward Island – PE GigaPoP: Dana Sanderson | 902.566.0552 | dsanderson@upei.ca
• Quebec – RISQ: Nancy Rancourt | 514.845.7181 x238 | nancy.rancourt@risq.qc.ca
• Saskatchewan – SRNET: Chad Coller | 306.261.9425 | ccoller@srnet.ca
• Yukon – Yukon College: Katie Tuck | 867.456.8554 | ktuck@yukoncollege.yk.ca

Canadian Research Software Conference

Heeding the guidance of Quebec Ministry of Health, we’ve made the decision to cancel this year’s Canadian Research Software Conference, originally scheduled for May 26-27 in Montreal.

We thank our confirmed speakers and those of you who had registered to attend. All registration fees will be fully refunded. All hotel room bookings in the conference’s room block at the Omni Mont Royal can also be cancelled without penalty, up to 24 hours before the expected arrival date.

Local Research Software Support – Funding Call 1

In response to logistical challenges that members of Canada’s higher education community may be facing, we are extending the deadline for proposals to this funding call.

• The new deadline for submissions is March 31, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
• The new date for notification of selections is May 7, 2020.

GÉANT Marcomms

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

16 March 2020 Update

While our office space is closed, we will be working from home and are convinced we can do so with minimal disruption. You can contact us as always via the established email addresses and phone numbers.

At this moment, our Cambridge Office remains open.

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

Dear all,

Following up from my announcement at the meeting this morning, I would like to repeat the following two messages:

• Cambridge Office: The Exec team and the Health & Safety committee would like to make it crystal clear to all of you that you can work from home if you have any concerns about coming to the office. We ask you to discuss the arrangement with your line-manager. As Execs, we have all looked into the matter and we are convinced that most of you should be able to work from home with minimal disruption. Your welfare is our main concern. Equally, we appreciate that some of you wish to come to the office “while you can”, so please and either way – discuss with your line manager the best option for you.

• Amsterdam Office: We aim to close the office on 18 March 2020. All Amsterdam based staff is asked to take what they need from the office and be ready to work from home until at least 6 April 2020. If you are in the office or collecting your things from the office today (Monday, 16 March), please ensure that you drop off your original receipts for expenses claims as well as any outstanding credit card logs and receipts – the courier will come around between 15:00 and 17:00 (Monday, 16 March).

In general, for all working from home now:

• Try and keep to normal working hours if you can
• Feel free to shift working hours if you need to accommodate taking care of children and/or other family members (please discuss arrangements with your line-manager)
• Make sure to take regular breaks, spend some time outside (if you are allowed – ensure to follow national government advice)
• Try and get some exercise in, practice stress-relief measures, eat healthy, stay hydrated – just make sure to take care of yourself

And one item that I did not announce, but again to make it very clear:

Travel: No one should be traveling across borders for work purposes at this point in time. If an exception is needed for business continuity, please speak to your line manager and ensure to involve your Exec! 

All, we are in this together – for better, for worse. None of us knows what is next and what will happen tomorrow or next week. The important bit is to get through this together, with calm, support to each other and the realization that this situation poses diverse complications in each and every one of our lives. Let’s be there for each other and help each other out. Stay safe!

The National Research and Education Networks (NREN) of Latin America, together with RedCLARA, are coordinating actions to support our member organizations and the health authorities of our countries in the fight against the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The capacity of our networks supports Universities and Research Centres that are vital in the fight against the disease, and they count on our unrestricted support in this circumstance. Check out our support initiatives and get the information you need in order to access them.

Among the measures taken jointly at regional level are:

- With the support of companies dedicated to the provision of desktop videoconferencing services, provision of free licenses to facilitate videoconferencing services to hospitals, health centres, health professionals and researchers who require it. As well as the Universities and Research Centres that decide to implement measures to contain the pandemic COVID-19, indicating to their staff and / or students the tele/remote work / classes.

- Provision through Scalac (Advanced Computing Service of Latin America and the Caribbean) of computing capabilities, in all its computing centres at the regional level, for research activities associated with the virus.

- Development of webinars and seminars with our Telehealth networks in Latin America to facilitate that our community is adequately informed.

- Coordinating actions with other regional networks worldwide, to facilitate cooperation among all in the joint fight against the Coronavirus disease.

If your organization is a University, Research Centre, Health Centre or governmental health entity and requires our help, do not hesitate to contact us to put the necessary resources in this regard.

For this, in the subject of your email write: Coronavirus Help - Name of your institution - Country from which you write. And in the body of the message explain your need and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Send your request for help to the email: RedCLARA_Comunica@redclara.net.

If you work in the provision of online services that can contribute to the fight against the Coronavirus and the control of the pandemic, and you want to add your services for free to this initiative, please write to RedCLARA_Comunica@redclara.net, indicating "Pandemic Control" in the subject of your email and we will contact you shortly.

Our Network, Services and Supply Chain

AARNet is working to maintain our services in order to support continuing business operations for customers. We have implemented a senior management response team which meets daily, are working with our key suppliers, and are continuously developing plans specific to this incident. These actions are in addition to the usual measures we have in place to ensure the high level of service we offer, including operating a diverse domestic and international network, as well as designing our services and operations to withstand disasters, including a pandemic.

Further, in response to COVID-19, AARNet has taken the following actions:

1. We have tripled direct network capacity between China and Australia and continue to optimise traffic routing in collaboration with customers. We are working closely with our global research and education network partners to meet the increasing demand for international bandwidth and capacity
2. We have doubled the capacity of our Zoom service in response to increased demand as our customers shift course delivery online
3. We are working with our suppliers (such as of optical fibre and network equipment) to prepare for and minimise impact of supply-chain interruptions
4. We are reviewing our inventories of equipment and materials as well as the distribution of those inventories.

We do not foresee any interruptions to AARNet services and we will work closely with you to keep you informed of how our plans are progressing as the situation changes.

Help & Support

If you are an AARNet customer requiring assistance with connectivity, Zoom or other services, please contact the AARNet Operations Centre Help Desk:

• Call the AARNet Operations Centre Help Desk on 1300 275 662
• Alternate number for international callers:  +61 2 6222 3555
• You can also log a support ticket.

While COVID-19 presents unprecedented uncertainty, Research and Education Networks (R&E Networks) will play an important role in supporting our campuses and K12 schools as they move online.

Infrastructure usage patterns are already changing greatly from traditional campus learning environments, in part because of the shift of users from purpose-built educational networks to consumer-oriented home networks. Keep checking back at this page for news and information about broadband support and the latest news for this changing environment.

• NET+ Zoom Program Updates Amid COVID-19
• Update on Internet2 Online Event Programming Plans
• EDUCAUSE: COVID-19 Resources
• Housebound Italian Kids Strain Network With Fortnite Marathon
• Comcast Speeds Up Low-Income Internet Service for Students Stuck at Home
• Broadband Providers Brace for Coronavirus Stress Test
• House Members Press ISPs on COVID-19 Readiness

For more information about Internet2's response to the coronavirus, please check this page for regular updates.

Internet2 is ready to assist as you are preparing your own organization for the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Whether you need extra network bandwidth and capacity to support your increased video demands or additional services, we are here to help. Our network capacity policy related to emergencies is available to you as well.

March 13, 2020 Updates

• Understanding Network Impacts of Increased Online Learning Activities
• NET+ Zoom Program Updates Amid COVID-19
• Cloud Computing Resources and Steps Internet2 is Taking to Support the Research and Education Community
• Update on Internet2 Online Event Programming Plans
• InCommon Academy Moves Online
• Using The Cloud to Surge VPN Capacity
• COVID-19 News Roundup

March 11, 2020 Updates

Internet2 continues to track the current situation around the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). As such, the following is meant to provide an update on Internet2’s preparations as concerns about the outbreak continue to progress. Internet2 continues to closely monitor events nationally and globally. We are monitoring the latest news and updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), (as well as local news in the areas where we have offices) among others. 
 
Internet2 is in close contact with many of our higher education members and regional network partners and we are tracking their communications and actions related to coronavirus. We are also collaborating closely with many of our Global National Research and Education Network partners.  
 
Internet2’s plans include contingencies for crisis situations. Internet2 is prepared to maintain our services in order to ensure smooth business operations for our member and partner organizations.
 
We will maintain network connectivity and work hand-in-hand with regional network partners, the Indiana Global NOC and key suppliers to maintain resources and adjust to circumstances as needs emerge in the community. We have verified headroom in our connections to collaboration tools (e.g. Zoom, Webex, course management services) to assure communications are fully functional, are increasing threshold alarming and have reviewed plans to address capacity if there are unexpected usage swings between our network, campuses and the commercial internet. 

We are in close contact with our major vendors and service provider partners regarding any potential impact to both operations and ongoing programs. InCommon Federation and eduroam operations are being closely monitored to ensure the continued availability of those services for our members and subscribers.
 
Many Internet2 staff already work remotely and our remote access and remote work protocols and procedures are well-tested. We are prepared to continue operations if our offices are closed and our employees need to work from home. 
 
As previously communicated, in light of the current circumstances related to the rapidly evolving coronavirus outbreak, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Internet2 Global Summit. The safety and well-being of our community colleagues, members, and staff is our top priority, and we felt that it would be impossible to provide a safe environment for Global Summit attendees.
 

We will continue to monitor this rapidly evolving situation and provide updates as more information becomes available. We will provide an update soon regarding our peering arrangements for critical services.
 
If you have any additional questions, please contact covid-response@internet2.edu.

REANNZ is ready to assist our members as they prepare their organisations for any changes to their working environments and business continuity plans in regards to Covid-19, having been engaged by some members to provide assistance and network assurance during this time. These conversations have enabled us to gain an understanding of the potential impact the situation is having on our members and their organisations.

A way in which we have responded to these concerns from our membership is to temporarily lift the internet burst capacity for all of our members. We have increased each member’s internet burst capacity to allow them to leverage any collaboration tools or remote learning tools that they may require during this time. This then lowers the risk of members running up against their internet limit and disrupting the flow of communication when using these tools.

However, this is not guaranteed internet capacity and there may still be discards, but we are monitoring this closely and implementing measures to minimise this. We will review the effectiveness of increasing internet burst capacity in one month’s time and will review plans to address internet capacity if there are unexpected usage swings on the network. 

We are collaborating closely with our Global National Research and Education Network community, and following closely the measures they advise to take in order to maintain services and ensure smooth business operations for REANNZ and our members.

We are here to help and support our members and the research and education community, and we will continue to monitor this rapidly evolving situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like some support we are more than happy to assist you. Please contact us via the details provided below. For up-to-date information on the New Zealand Government’s response to Covid-19 visit the Ministry of Health’s website, and find information and guidance from the World Health Organisation here.

For network issues, outages or planned maintenance contact our NOC by email, or phone directly for urgent issues.

Email: help@reannz.co.nz

Phone: 0508 466 466

Contact Engagement and let us know how we can help you and your organisation.

Email: engagement@reannz.co.nz

Phone: 04 913 1090

1. Understanding Network Impacts of Increased Online Learning Activities
2. Cloud Computing Resources and Steps Internet2 is Taking to Support the Research & Education Community
3. NET+ Zoom Program Updates Amid COVID-19
4. InCommon Academy Moves Online
5. Update on Internet2 Online Event Programming Plans
6. Using The Cloud to Surge VPN Capacity
7. COVID-19 News Roundup

URAN operating schedule during the coronavirus quarantine

Given the coronavirus pandemic and supporting the efforts of the world and national communities to contain the exposure, part of URAN staff will be operating mainly remotely. This in no way will affect the operation of our services. To implement additional network and service stability during quarantine, we suspend any Network Architecture changes and upgrades except service critical changes only. Our technical department will continue to provide customer support. We still receive calls on +380 44 204-9816 and respond promptly to messages sent to dopomoga@uran.ua

The administrative staff will mainly work at home and communicate with clients online – via emails, messengers, etc. For any organizational or administrative questions, please contact boss@uran.ua

Human health is the highest priority. We monitor daily the WHO and the Government of Ukraine on the development of the pandemic and act on their recommendations. The issue of holding an annual general meeting will be resolved later, depending on the situation.

We stay in touch and wish you good health!

Diante do impacto do avanço do Covid-19, a RNP está coordenando ações para apoiar a comunidade acadêmica brasileira e autoridades sanitárias que utilizam serviços de comunicação e colaboração, para que elas possam dar continuidade às suas atividades de ensino e pesquisa.

A primeira medida foi ampliar o acesso aos nossos serviços de videocolaboração, Conferência Web e Videoconferência, assim como o portal Video@RNP, para os Ministérios, estabelecimentos de saúde, unidades de pesquisa e instituições de ensino superior e educação tecnológica.

A RNP disponibiliza a Rede Universitária de Telemedicina (RUTE), nossa maior rede colaborativa, com alcance em todo o território nacional, para ações de apoio à capacitação, assistência remota e segunda opinião em combate ao vírus. Somente na RUTE, são realizadas sessões diárias de vídeo e webconferências, em tempo real, com acesso aos repositórios e registro de presença.

Acesse o site da RUTE e confira a agenda.Também estamos em contato com organizações usuárias para compartilhamento de infraestrutura computacional, para que essas instituições ajudem a aumentar a capacidade do serviço de Conferência Web. 

Medidas corporativas

Com o objetivo de zelar pelas pessoas e seu bem-estar no ambiente de trabalho, a RNP criou um Comitê Covid-19 para a tomada de decisões e ampliou o home office para seus colaboradores entre os dias 17 e 30/3, todos os dias da semana. O home office também foi estendido aos colaboradores que atuam nos Pontos de Presença (PoPs), sejam quadro RNP ou terceirizados.

Também reforçamos a importância da prevenção contra a pandemia, orientando nossos colaboradores e prestadores de serviço à comunidade sobre as recomendações da Organização Mundial de Saúde quanto à higiene.

Entre em contato conosco!

Se sua organização é uma Instituição de Ensino e Pesquisa, Estabelecimento de Saúde com Ensino e precisa da nossa ajuda, entre em contato conosco pelo nosso Service Desk, pelo e-mail atendimento@rnp.br ou telefone/Whatsapp 0800 722 0216.

We do not believe that this outbreak will have a direct impact on the services we provide to clients.

The HEAnet Network has multiple resilient connections to the General Internet and there is sufficient capacity to cope with a shift to remote working and teaching. We are working with our connectivity partners to ensure that extra bandwidth can be provided at short notice in the unlikely event it is required.

HEAnet are closely monitoring the evolving impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ireland. We are following Irish government and World Health Organisation advice regarding both internal and international travel.

In addition, normal service upgrades and changes are continuing, however should the situation worsen temporary change freezes may be implemented in order to reduce disruption to services. Work involving physical access to sites will be carefully considered and all client or commercial site restrictions will be observed.

Should there be any restrictions on movement within Ireland, the most likely service to be impacted is the HEAnet network and our connectivity services. If a network fault occurs, restrictions on movement may mean that we are unable to visit a site to provide a fix. If this was to occur, we will communicate directly with affected clients.

The situation is not currently affecting existing network services to the NREN and R&E community in Europe and we are remaining in contact with the GÉANT Operations Centre.

We will continue to meet with clients on your sites, where there are no specific risks. We are encouraging colleagues with meetings at different locations to double-check there are no specific restrictions in place before travelling. We have also advised colleagues to explore other options for meetings, such as online.

HEAnet will continue to monitor the situation, are regularly in communication with key suppliers of equipment, logistics and engineering services, and will inform clients of any significant changes to the current approach. We will also update you if the outbreak starts to impact on the operation of our services to clients. Please check this page regularly to ensure you always have the latest information.

If you require further information on our response to coronavirus you can contact us at noc@heanet.ie

Useful links 

• HSE – coronavirus: overview
• HSE – coronavirus: guidance for educational settings
• Department of Education & Skills – coronavirus: overview
• Irish Government – coronavirus: what is happening

CSC's coronavirus bulletin 12th March

Dear visitor,

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread and the recommendation of the Finnish institute for health and welfare (THL) and the Finnish Government (Valtioneuvosto), CSC is suspending all visits to CSC premises until further notice.

In addition, CSC's employees will not travel or attend any external meetings for the foreseeable future.

According to this decision CSC is cancelling all customer and stakeholder meetings as well as customer trainings and events until further notice. CSC will make attempts to organize these meetings using virtual tools whenever feasible. Customers will be informed separately.

For more information, please contact:

CSC Customer Service

servicedesk@csc.fi

Open Monday to Friday

from 8.30 a.m. to 4

p.m.

(09) 457 2821

or your CSC contact person

Media: 

Minna Lappalainen, Marketing and Communications Director, 050 3150 235 

Nina Lundahl, Marketing Communications Manager, 050 5982 298

Supporting the global challenges of the novel coronavirus

In response to the current situation of the Corona virus R&E networks are moving to procure additional capacity on existing international links and server farms ahead of demand to ensure universities continue to have the bandwidth and services they need to meet the growing demand for video conferencing, remote learning and personal communications.

Please read more here

https://www.inthefieldstories.net/supporting-the-global-challenges-of-the-novel-coronavirus/

Covid-19 emergency: GARR continues to ensure the functioning of the network

From Tuesday 10 March, GARR staff have been operating mainly remotely (smart working) following the evolution of the COVID-19 emergency. In this way our support to the research and education community continues with an even greater commitment, given the importance of the network for communicating and collaborating particularly at this time.
For support requests, you are kindly invited to privilege e-mail communications and visit the Services web page for all information and documentation.
In case of necessity, the mobile numbers of GARR staff are available in the Directory.
We invite you to follow us for updates on this website or on the official social media channels.

RIPE NCC Services and Covid-19

The RIPE NCC is striving to provide its services to members as normal. However, the situation with covid-19 has meant that we have had to postpone face-to-face training sessions in our service region for Q1 and Q2.

We have also postponed some RIPE NCC-organised events and member lunches. A full list of our events and their status is available from our dedicated webpage.

We are aware the situation is changing quickly and we might need to adjust our internal operations to be in line with recommendations regarding covid-19. So members might experience some delays in dealing with us but we will ensure all standard service requests are completed as soon as possible.

We will at all times keep the well-being of our staff and members as our top priority as we provide support to the membership and the wider community.

JISC (UK), Marcomms

Coronavirus

Help and information for members around planning for coronavirus (COVID-19)

Jisc and coronavirus

We do not believe that that this outbreak will have a direct impact on most of the services we provide members. We are continuing to monitor the situation, particularly with respect to suppliers who are critical to our services.

In line with current advice, Digifest and other Jisc events are going ahead. We will continue to review in line with the latest guidance and will update event information and delegates accordingly.

Read our statement on coronavirus in full.

Official advice

• COVID-19: guidance for educational settings - via UK government
• UK government response to coronavirus (COVID-19)
• NHS information on coronavirus (COVID-19)

Practical tips to ensure continuity

We've developed a guide to help you with continuity of learning and teaching during situations of enforced absence.

It contains practical tips to maintain teaching, learning and business operations during circumstances where staff or learners are unable to physically spend time on campus.

Read the guide on ensuring continuity of learning during enforced absence.

Planning for coronavirus - join a free online briefing on 16 March

We're holding a free one-hour session for members on 16 March. We'll explore the areas that you're telling us are worrying you most, regarding how to ensure continuity during the current situation. We'll also explore how you can make best use of the technologies you already have.

Find out more and book your place on our planning for coronavirus (COVID-19) online briefing

Get support - join our community

We've created a Microsoft Teams community space for those who are responsible for ensuring strategic and operational continuity during a potential coronavirus epidemic.

Designed as somewhere to collaborate, ask questions and share experiences, it has four themed channels, focusing around business operations, remote working, student experience and wellbeing, and teaching and learning.

Request to join the planning for coronavirus community.

Access essential online content

Whether you work in FE or HE, you can support learners studying remotely by making the most of our online content.

If your researchers and learners need unrestricted access to the full text of millions of research papers from around the world, or content from over 36,000 journals available via your desktop, we can help.

Looking to support A-level or vocational students to continue learning from home? e-books for FE provides access to over 500 highly rated titles, all matched to the curriculum and available as a benefit of your Jisc membership.

We're here to help

If you have any questions, contact your account manager.

Find your account manager

United against coronavirus

The National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) of Latin America, together with RedCLARA, are coordinating actions to support our member organizations and the health authorities of our countries in the fight against the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The capacity of our networks supports Universities and Research Centres that are vital in the fight against the disease, and they count on our unrestricted support in this circumstance.

Jisc statement on coronavirus (COVID-19)

We do not believe that that this outbreak will have a direct impact on most of the services we provide members.

Coronavirus information for members

Guidance for for members around planning for coronavirus (COVID-19).

We are continuing to monitor the situation, particularly with respect to suppliers who are critical to our services.

Should there be any restrictions on movement within the UK, the most likely service to be impacted is Janet and our connectivity services. If a network fault occurs, restrictions on movement may mean that we are unable to visit a site to provide a fix. If this was to occur, we will communicate directly with affected members.

We will continue to meet with members on your sites, where there are no specific risks. We are encouraging colleagues with meetings at different locations to double-check there are no specific restrictions in place before travelling. We have also advised colleagues to explore other options for meetings, such as online.

We will monitor, update and revise this guidance as the situation and government advice develops. We will also update you if the outbreak starts to impact on the operation of our services to members. Please check this page regularly to ensure you always have the latest information.

We have created a new guide offering practical advice on how digital technologies can help your organisation ensure the continuity of teaching, learning and business operations when staff or students are unable to attend campus. We will keep iterating this based on your feedback.

This page was updated on 6 March 2020.

How does this affect the events that Jisc organises?

In line with current advice, Digifest and other Jisc events are going ahead. We will continue to review in line with the latest guidance and will update event information and delegates accordingly.

We are providing advice to all event attendees including guidance on how to avoid catching and spreading viruses like coronavirus. This includes providing additional hand sanitizers at registration, food stations, exhibitions and other areas where washing with soap may be inconvenient. We are asking attendees not to come if they:

• Are feeling in any way unwell
• Have recently travelled from one of the countries affected
• Have been in contact with someone affected by coronavirus

If you require further information on our response to coronavirus you can contact your account manager.

This page was updated on 6 March 2020.

Preventive measures SURF around coronavirus/COVID-19

SURF is monitoring the situation regarding the coronavirus. We follow the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) advice on health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs with regard to travel advice. This leads to a number of concrete measures to limit the spread of the virus.

GÉANT Marcomms

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

This page is intended to provide information around the coronavirus and any impact on the activities of the GÉANT Association. We will update the page as needed.

12 March 2020 Update

The GÉANT Association continues to closely monitor advice and recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and from Dutch and UK governments regarding the coronavirus.

GÉANT's Health and Safety Committee utilises this information in decision-making regarding international travel and other considerations.

We will continue to support our partners in the most effective way possible whilst ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our staff and the wider GÉANT Community.

Health and Safety of our Staff and Contractors

The Health and Safety of our staff and contractors, their families and communities are our first concern. GÉANT's Health and Safety Committee has worked together for many years and we now see the benefits of this well-established trusted relationship between the Health and Safety Officer, representatives of GÉANT's Executive Team, the Dutch PVT and members of staff from our locations in Cambridge and Amsterdam. Together with the Health and Safety Committee, GÉANT's Executive team and CEO monitor the situation and communicate in a transparent way with staff and contractors.

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

Travel

Last week, we took the decision to suspend all future travel bookings, unless very urgent business requires travel. Such urgent requirements are judged on a case by case basis with a final decision from our CEO.

Following the Dutch prime minister's press conference on 12 March 2020, we are encouraging our Dutch staff and contractors to work from home as much as possible.

Over the past year and due to a more agile office environment in our locations in Cambridge and Amsterdam, the majority of GÉANT's staff and contractors have experienced working remotely or from home. We are at this moment ensuring that we can scale the ability of working from home to 100% of all staff and contractors over the next few days. It is our objective to be fully prepared should the situation arise in which we are asked to work from home by the respective national authorities.

TNC20

GÉANT and Jisc remain committed to TNC20 with unchanged enthusiasm and dedication. To provide additional time before registering, the Early Bird registration has been extended to 31 March 2020. 

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

GÉANT operations

GÉANT operations are closely monitoring the situation in all countries where GÉANT network POP locations exist. We are following WHO advice regarding international travel relating to these locations. Network Operations Centre activity in the UK is unaffected and all non-essential travel by NOC staff has been suspended.

The situation is not currently affecting existing network services to the NREN and R&E community. Fault rectification and associated first line maintenance activities are outsourced and performed by in-country resources and therefore are not reliant on GÉANT engineering staff to travel. At this moment, our suppliers are confident about first line maintenance support and we are currently assessing with our suppliers the impact on ordering of new equipment.

Until more clarity exists, planned physical Network Architecture changes and upgrades have been largely suspended. Only service-critical changes will be performed using GÉANT operations staff who will observe all advice regarding minimising risk of exposure.

Should in-country travel by 3rd party engineering resource be restricted by the respective national government authorities or otherwise, then GÉANT operations will inform the local NREN and discuss any mitigation measures.

GÉANT operations continue to monitor the situation and are regularly in communication with key suppliers of equipment, logistics and engineering services and will inform users of any significant changes to the current approach.

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

Today, March 12^th, both the UK and the Dutch governments announced new recommendations in light of the Corona virus.
GÉANT follows those recommendations (The UK one for the Cambridge office and the NL one for Amsterdam office).

UK Government update 12 March 12, 2020

The only key change in the UK is that people are advised to stay at home for 7 days if they have mild symptoms. 
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-12-march-2020

NL Government update 12 March 2020

The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, held a press conference today and announced new recommendations that will now be in place for
all of the Netherlands. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/coronavirus-covid-19/nieuws/2020/03/12/nieuwe-maatregelen-tegen-verspreiding-coronavirus-in-nederland

Major points:

1.       Across the country, people with colds, coughing or sore throat and possibly fever should stay at home; they should avoid social contacts as much as possible until they are restored

2.       All events with more than 100 people throughout the Netherlands should be cancelled

3.       The Government asks people to work from home as much as possible

4.       The group of people who are vulnerable (WHO defines this group as older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions 

(such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes)) should avoid large gatherings and public transport.

1. Universities should move to online teaching and no longer have irl courses
2. Schools and child care will remain open
3. All this until March 31^st 2020.

GÉANT Health and Safety Committee Update 12 March

Given the above announcement GÉANT has reviewed it’s position which is now as follows:

NL based staff are encouraged to work from home as much as possible in line with the recommendation from the Dutch government.  GÉANT
agrees that any NL based employee who wishes to work from home may now do so given the escalation in the situation. Dutch based staff is also
encouraged to follow the other recommendations from the Dutch government.

 Employees in the UK should discuss the situation with their line managers if they are concerned about coming into the office.  Line managers will
contact the HR Team in the UK if there are work related reasons as to why they need team members to come into the office and an employee is
concerned about coming in.  HR, the relevant line manager and the employee will work out a solution together. Employees in the UK showing even
mild symptoms should stay at home and work from home for at least 7 days.

(International, based in Belgium)

Dear participant, speaker, session chair, staff member, stakeholder of the EuroHPC Summit Week (EHPCSW) 2020,

Thank you for your registration for this year’s edition of our conference.

Close to 500 of you were planning to participate during one or more days of the week-long event, showing that the sessions and speakers we lined up as well as the networking possibilities we included in the programme suited your interests and needs.

One topic that has been on everyone’s mind these past weeks – and will do so for the foreseeable future – is the COVID-19 pandemic.

New outbreaks and the spread of the coronavirus causing this illness are on the news daily, and we are all worried and unsure how the situation will develop and how it will affect us personally and professionally.

As the health and well-being of everyone involved in the EuroHPC Summit Week 2020 is of the utmost importance to us, we have been keeping a close eye on the situation and regularly consulting the official guidelines of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the World Health Organisation, and the Portuguese government. Considering the current situation with many organisations putting travel bans in place, and local and national governments ordering quarantine perimeters around clusters of infections, we have come to the conclusion that continuing the conference is untenable and have therefore decided to cancel the event.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused, these are exceptional and regrettable circumstances and we do hope for your understanding. We will update this page with more information and answers to frequently asked questions as we go forward. If you have any further questions, please contact us by e-mail. We will do our best to answer you as quickly and completely as possible.

A number of sessions will be transformed into virtual / all-digital meetings, and we will list these on a dedicated page to be created here

We can already tell you that EHPCSW 2021 will take place in Porto, Portugal, in March next year - stay tuned for more details to come!

Thank you again for your support and looking forward to meeting you next year,

The EuroHPC Summit Week Organisation & Programme Committee

AARNet provides critical communications infrastructure for the research and education sector and has quickly boosted capacity on its international network as part of the global rapid response to the recent novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

During the past few weeks, usage of AARNet’s international network has grown significantly.

AARNet CEO Chris Hancock says the recent impact of the novel coronavirus on the Australian research and education community has been both unexpected and devastating.

“AARNet moved immediately to procure additional capacity on our existing links into North Asia to meet the increased demand for video conferencing, remote learning and personal communications,” he said.

Traffic to and from China over the AARNet links has more than doubled in recent weeks. AARNet is closely monitoring traffic across the network and will be making further upgrades should they be required.

Usage of Zoom videoconferencing has also doubled over the past few weeks as Australian universities turn to delivering courses online for the tens of thousands of international students impacted by the disease and associated travel bans. AARNet has added capacity to its Zoom infrastructure with plenty of headroom to further scale up on demand to meet the needs of the universities.

In recent years, AARNet has invested in long-term international network capacity through projects such as Indigo, connecting Sydney to Perth and Singapore, and CAE-1 which continues this link on to London.  In addition, the new JGA-S cable system, connecting Sydney to Guam, will further support the growth of the AARNet network into North Asia, and will provide additional options to connect to China.

With these projects, and in partnership with research and education networks worldwide, AARNet ensures Australian universities and research institutes continues to have the robust and resilient connectivity they need to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. This networking infrastructure supports not only teaching and learning, but also participation in global collaborations undertaking new research around the rapidly evolving COVID-19 disease.

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

Dear Colleagues

In light of recent developments regarding COVID-19 we are anticipating a significant number of travel and events (organised internally,  by GÉANT Association) to be cancelled or postponed.

In all instances steps need to be taken to mitigate the financial impact on GÉANT.

In order to manage the process of claiming (or via insurance) “cancelled” costs (i.e. costs relating to activity that will not take place, which ordinarily would not be claimable from an EC funded project), it will be extremely helpful if colleagues could assist in the following way:

If your trip or event is cancelled, please contact the relevant person below to inform them of any cancelled events/ travel:

• Cancelled events / workshops/ meetings that the Association has organised and is paying for directly – NAMES. 

**this is mainly aimed at Event organisers**

Please provide the PO’s that have been allocated for the event.

If a separate contract was signed after the PO (i.e. venue hire) please send a copy of the signed document. 

A list of expected attendees will also be required.

• Cancelled travel – In most cases it should be possible for you to cancel travel arrangements and obtain a full refund. If that is not possible please contact NAMES to provide the document numbers raised for conference fees where applicable.

This request has no impact on those working outside GÉANT Association, i.e. those working for NRENs.

I appreciate that this is adding a little more overhead at a time when due to COVID-19 things are already pretty stressful. Your help in this respect is much appreciated and will ensure that the financial impact to GÉANT from COVID-19 will be mitigated to as large an extent as possible.

Thanks,

GÉANT Marcomms

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

The GÉANT Association continues to closely monitor advice and recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and from Dutch and UK governments regarding the coronavirus.

GÉANT's Health and Safety Committee utilises this information in decision-making regarding international travel and other considerations.

We will continue to support our partners in the most effective way possible whilst ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our staff and the wider GÉANT Community.

GÉANT Marcomms

GÉANT Marcomms

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

GÉANT operations are closely monitoring the situation in all countries where GÉANT network POP locations exist. We are following WHO advice regarding international travel relating to these locations. Network Operations Centre activity in the UK is unaffected and all non-essential travel by NOC staff has been suspended.

The situation is not currently affecting existing network services to the NREN and R&E community. Fault rectification and associated first line maintenance activities are outsourced and performed by in-country resources and therefore are not reliant on GÉANT engineering staff to travel.

Until more clarity exists, planned physical Network Architecture changes and upgrades have been largely suspended. Only service-critical changes will be performed using GÉANT operations staff who will observe all advice regarding minimising risk of exposure.

Should in-country travel by 3rd party engineering resource be restricted by the respective national government authorities or otherwise, then GÉANT operations will inform the local NREN and discuss any mitigation measures.

GÉANT operations continue to monitor the situation and are regularly in communication with key suppliers of equipment, logistics and engineering services and will inform users of any significant changes to the current approach.

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

Information on COVID-19

Whilst advice from the World Health Organisation has not substantially changed it is clear that many have concerns regarding the virus and how it may affect us and the recent outbreaks in Europe have added to these concerns.

In response to concerns about the safety of travel, whether by air or public transport, we would like to share the following information from the WHO website on the current understanding of how the virus is transmitted and suggest that you review the sections highlighted below.

Advice from WHO

• How does COVID-19 spread?
• What can I do to protect myself and prevent the spread of the disease?
• How likely am I to catch COVID-19?
• Should I worry about COVID-19?

There is further information on travelling during the coronavirus outbreak

GÉANT is actively monitoring the WHO advice and the situation in general in locations where GÉANT meetings are planned and will keep in contact with participants if the situation changes. Please do talk to your own organisations about their advice to employees on travel.

(International, based in Netherlands & UK)

Dear Colleagues,

Given the developing situation with the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), with immediate effect, and until further notice, all new travel bookings (all modes of travel, including by train and plane) will be suspended to provide a duty of care to all staff and avoid unnecessary cancellation costs in the future.

Although at this time, there are no formal reasons not to travel, we note that many people in our community are cancelling travel to various meetings and asking for VC alternatives. Therefore, travel planning for future meetings is to be suspended until we have more clarity on developments. Our account with our travel agency has been temporarily suspended. Please note, this temporary travel ban applies to all future bookings.

If you have already made a booking, please ensure that you monitor the  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/travel-advice

to determine if it is safe to continue with your travel plans/meetings. Please remember that risk assessments for all visits that have already been booked to all destinations must be undertaken.   

There is no expectation that staff who have already booked their travel will be required to travel on business unless they feel entirely comfortable and safe with the arrangements for the travel required. 

Staff will continue to be informed regarding the impact of Coronavirus on GÉANT operations, and specifically in relation to forthcoming events.

Please let me, or your manager or any member of the Exec know if you have any queries regarding the above.

https://refeds.org/a/2430

and

https://www.incommon.org/news/international-science-community-seeks-help-from-incommon-participants/.