Dear colleagues, dear students,

The number of people with COVID-19 disease is critically increasing in the Czech Republic. Statistics show that the capacity of hospitals will soon be exhausted and that the healthcare is already being limited, for example in planned medical interventions. Even at BUT, there are already sick employees or students, but fortunately it is not yet widespread. It does not make sense to analyse the causes of this condition now, it is necessary to respond to the situation so that we endanger as little as possible everyone at BUT and its surroundings. The forecasts are not favourable.

Based on the recommendation of the crisis staff, I ask you to limit the contacts between BUT employees as much as possible. I therefore recommend that senior employees agree as much as possible with their employees on working from home (the so-called home-office), for the period by the end of October 2020. I am aware that operating facilities do not always allow this, but the goal is to most limit the contact between employees while maintaining the operation of individual workplaces. Even in the home-office mode, the fulfilment of all tasks must be ensured. The highest priority is, of course, teaching and administrative services for students, as well as the key tasks of BUT, especially research, but we must not forget to ensure the functioning of the university as a whole, both externally and internally. The organization of work in this mode is decided by the relevant senior employees at the faculties and departments. The possibility of applying such measures is already enshrined in the Rector's Decision No. 9/2020 as of October 8 2020, as amended.

I thank all the staff and students for complying with the measures still in force and please continue to comply with them. I especially appeal to students who remain accommodated in halls of residence to stay only in their rooms and to significantly reduce contacts with other accommodated. I wish everyone strong nerves, if possible optimism and especially good health.

In Brno, on October 16, 2020

Petr Štěpánek

Rector BUT