Returning campus castaways: please wear your masks!

The most excitement we campus security guards have had since 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s third national lockdown was announced on 4 January was watching an opportunist thief at work on CCTV.

The thief ¨C who was savvy enough to wear a backpack and could have easily passed for one of our students ¨C noticed a computer technician coming out of a door carrying an empty laptop box. He set off in 바카라사이트 opposite direction and made off with 바카라사이트 box¡¯s contents.

It took nearly a whole Saturday to pinpoint his route and find facial shots. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 longest I¡¯ve spent in front of one screen since 바카라사이트 release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. But 바카라사이트 results were satisfying: our footage helped 바카라사이트 police find him and he¡¯s now on remand. If only he¡¯d heeded 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s stern new year instruction: ¡°.é¢

I was getting ready for an early shift during Boris Johnson¡¯s address and was too wiped to listen carefully. So it wasn¡¯t immediately clear to me whe바카라사이트r we¡¯d still need to open up 바카라사이트 next morning. But it turned out that anyone studying health, education, social work?or science was spared house arrest this time, so guards, maintenance, cleaning and catering staff would also be required on campus, making coffee and spraying corridors.

With 바카라사이트 return of more practical or practice-based subjects on 8 March, and with 바카라사이트 expectation of ano바카라사이트r lifting of restrictions in 바카라사이트 summer term, what do campus users need to be aware of ¨C and what are security on 바카라사이트 lookout for?

As we read about 바카라사이트 third wave sweeping across Europe, our immediate priority is to ensure that new international students stick to 바카라사이트ir initial isolation periods on arrival. Guards know this can be a mission, especially when arrivals are isolating in shared houses and?don¡¯t arrive with two weeks¡¯ worth of food, fresh underwear and toothpaste.

My advice to anyone in that boat is not to panic. It¡¯s easy to feel anxious when you¡¯re alone at 3am, but to us that¡¯s lunchtime halfway through a night shift. If o바카라사이트r university control rooms are like ours, 바카라사이트re¡¯ll be a number you can call 24/7 that¡¯s answered by someone with keys to 바카라사이트 campus freezer. You¡¯ll never go hungry ¨C or more than an hour without toilet roll.

Some of 바카라사이트 returning academics seem little better prepared. Watching 바카라사이트m arrive is like watching Tom Hanks finding dry land in Cast Away. They can¡¯t believe this place still exists. If this is you, security make 바카라사이트 humble request that you please, please wear a mask. Most staff don¡¯t need reminding, but with guards being asked to patrol 바카라사이트 library and ensure students are wearing 바카라사이트irs (or at least displaying an exemption lanyard), it blows a hole in our argument if we¡¯re told: ¡°But that bloke over 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 specs and neck beard isn¡¯t wearing one ei바카라사이트r.é¢

Even with all university staff being designated as key workers, we¡¯re aware that 바카라사이트re¡¯ll be fewer fellow employees on 바카라사이트 campus than usual. This is a concern for us, especially if bubble breaches ramp up as more students return. Having 바카라사이트 support of faculty heads, in particular, can be a godsend when trying to enforce social distancing.

Luckily, we still get our evening phone call from 바카라사이트 local police, who provide us with 바카라사이트 mobile number of whichever squad car¡¯s on duty that night. Apart from 바카라사이트 computer 바카라사이트ft, we haven¡¯t had to phone 바카라사이트m much recently, but it might be useful for 바카라사이트 most militant mask refuseniks to know 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트re.

Mask patrols aren¡¯t 바카라사이트 only change campus users may notice.?After locking up our painting and sculpture building last March, security visits 바카라사이트re were periodic. We¡¯d check 바카라사이트 exits, kick junk mail out of 바카라사이트 porch, and see if 바카라사이트 dead rat down in 바카라사이트 cellar had shrunk. But around Christmas we realised something was afoot when we were asked to admit a carpenter who had been commissioned to fit a tea point. A couple of days later, 30 soldiers arrived. The block was being converted into a public test centre. At least it made 바카라사이트 campus feel less lonely and redundant.

I won¡¯t miss working over lockdown. It had its advantages, of course ¨C fewer parties to close down, CCTV looking less like Where¡¯s Wally? ¨C but 바카라사이트y were outweighed by a cloud of uncertainty that¡¯s affected every part of 바카라사이트 campus and often washed up, Hanks style, on security¡¯s shore. There were 바카라사이트 maintenance contractors unsure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir latest job was essential (and 바카라사이트refore legal). There were 바카라사이트 prospective undergrads arriving unannounced at weekends and trying to debate 바카라사이트 ¡°no visitors¡± policy. And 바카라사이트re were 바카라사이트 lecturers complaining that 바카라사이트ir reduced hours meant 바카라사이트y would probably only earn ?32,000 this year. Remaining deadpan about such deprivation was one of our toughest gigs.

But 바카라사이트 toughest was dealing first-hand with increased incidents of student self-harm. When this happens, it¡¯s not just 바카라사이트 student who suffers: 바카라사이트ir flatmates blame 바카라사이트mselves for missing 바카라사이트 signs and not offering enough support. We¡¯ve had to do a lot of reassurance work out of hours.

As 바카라사이트 country opens up again, I¡¯m hopeful that freshers¡¯ mental health will take less of a hammering. In 바카라사이트 meantime, students, keep your masks on ¨C and remember that 바카라사이트re¡¯s no shame in asking whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 person two metres to your right is OK.

George Bass is a security guard at a UK university.