OFFICIAL INFORMATION
on the current situation in preventing the COVID-19 coronavirus in the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

In view of the deteriorating situation regarding the incidence of the COVID-19 coronavirus both in the Russian Federation and in other countries of the world, as well as to inform JINR employees about the measures taken to prevent its spread, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research reports the following.

The JINR Directorate pays considerable attention to health of employees and their families, as well as guests of JINR. In this regard, since the beginning of the extensive spread of infection of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the territory of the People’s Republic of China in January 2020, it was decided to cancel all business trips of the JINR employees to the PRC, including the recall of employees who were already in the PRC.

After receiving information about the unfavorable epidemiological background for this disease in a number of European countries, in order to prevent the disease of JINR employees, it was decided to terminate current business trips to these countries, as well as to cancel planned trips, including sending employees to CERN, FAIR and other scientific centers.

According to the Order of the JINR Director of 13 February 2020, all returned from foreign business trips from countries with an unfavorable situation for the incidence of coronavirus infection were placed under a fourteen-day self-isolation regime recommended by the Federal Biomedical Agency (FMBA); they are under the regular supervision of medical specialists of Medical Unit 9.

As of today, according to the results of medical laboratory studies, none of the JINR employees in Dubna has been found to have the coronavirus infection. At the same time, some of the JINR employees who returned from foreign business trips less than two weeks ago continue to stay under the regime of self-isolation and supervision of doctors.

After the World Health Organization formally declared the COVID-19 coronavirus a worldwide pandemic, it was decided to establish the JINR Operational Headquarters to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection. The JINR Operational Headquarters are chaired by JINR Assistant Director, RAS Corresponding Member G. D. Shirkov and comprise representatives of JINR and Medical Unit 9. The JINR Operational Headquarters work in continuous operation mode and regularly interacts with the management of the FMBA of the Russian Federation and the Interregional Department No. 21, the Administration of the city of Dubna, Medical Unit 9, the Dubna City Hospital. The JINR Operational Headquarters also inform the JINR Directorate several times a day about the current state of the disease and the proposed measures against the coronavirus.

Taking into account the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and the restrictive measures taken by the Russian Federation, the JINR Director issued an order at the suggestion of the JINR Operational Headquarters aimed at minimizing the risk of JINR employees contracting the coronavirus which includes exceptional measures, such as a ban on sending employees on business trips and on hiring citizens from foreign countries to work at JINR, as well as the cancellation of all mass events, including conferences and seminars. It was also decided to organize remote work in the shortest possible time for those JINR employees whose work can be performed without staying at the workplace and to form a list of positions of employees who have to stay at the workplace.

In addition, the restrictions proposed by the JINR Operational Headquarters on the work of JINR sports and cultural divisions, public catering services, as well as on visiting the Institute’s infrastructure by any outside parties will be put into effect soon.

Dear colleagues, due to the frequent appearance of false information about the situation with the COVID-19 coronavirus in JINR and our city, on behalf of the JINR Directorate, I urge you to remain calm, be reasonable when studying various information sources and take into account only official information from JINR, state authorities and local governments.

For its part, the JINR Operational Headquarters for the prevention of the coronavirus spread have been tasked to regularly inform JINR employees about the current situation with the incidence and recommended methods for preventing the COVID-19 coronavirus disease.

JINR Director, RAS Academician
Victor Matveev

Read JINR’s official information on the coronavirus, 13 March 2020