AIT Campus Bulletin

In this issue:

A. Announcements 

B. Classifieds (jobs)

A. Announcements 

1) Positive Cases and Update from the AIT COVID-19 Task Force

Director, Office of Academic Administration

Dear AIT Family,

Positive Cases – We wish to inform you that three students in our Organizational Quarantine (OQ) tested positive for COVID-19 on 14 January 2022 during their quarantine, and were transported to Thammasat University Hospital (TUH) for their treatment and recovery.  

A student (K45, last day on campus 12 January) also tested positive for COVID-19 (ATK on 12 January), which was confirmed by RT-PCR test result on 13 January.  This student is now in hotel isolation off campus for treatment.  We wish these students speedy and complete recovery.

Please find below the timeline of presence at AIT of the latter student.  If any member of the AIT community has been to the AIT places listed, please be careful and closely self-monitor yourselves for seven days for any symptoms.  Those who had direct close contact with this community member since 7January (i.e., within less than 1 meter for more than 15 minutes or interaction without wearing a mask) may request an ATK from OSA (osa@ait.ac.th) and self-isolate at their own home for a week from the last interaction.  They may also initially observe for any symptoms and test later.  OFAM will perform thorough cleaning of the visited areas, including their on-campus accommodation units, and will discuss with those responsible for those areas so that they can take the necessary follow-up precautionary measures.

• 25 Dec 2021 – 2 Jan 2022 – Hometown off campus

• 7 Jan 2022 – stayed in dorm

o Visited UFM (9.30am), Inthanin coffee (10am)

• 8 Jan 2022

o 8am–9pm – off campus

o 9.30 pm – 7-Eleven

• 9 Jan 2022 – stayed in dorm

• 10 Jan 2022 – stayed in dorm

o Visited UFM (9.30am), Inthanin coffee (10am)

• 11 Jan 2022 – stayed in dorm

o Visited UFM (9.30am) 

• 12 Jan 2022 (Last day on campus)

o 10.30 am – AIT Mail Office

o 11.30 am – Restaurant at Arcade

o 11.45 am – AIT Medical Clinic

o 12.00 pm – Inthanin coffee

o 2.30 pm – ATK (Saliva Test) – Positive

o 3.00 pm – left the campus by personal car for RT-PCR test and home / hotel isolation

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 at AIT – With AIT campus residents testing positive for COVID-19 through ATK tests recently, the AIT COVID-19 Task Force would like to provide the following advice and guidelines:

1. If anyone tests positive (ATK or RT-PCR tests), it is very important to please immediately provide the Task Force with your timeline of your previous week’s movement.  A quick known timeline will help us to undertake prompt contact tracing and containment efforts, before the virus spreads.  In addition, if you find out that you have come in contact with a COVID-19 infected person, please also immediately inform the Task Force, and self-isolate yourself, along with other members of your family, who may also have been in contact.  Whether you take a COVID-19 test because you do not feel well or you are suspicious you have been exposed, or as a requirement for flight departures, please self-isolate yourself until the results are out.

2. The ATK positive test result has to be confirmed with an RT-PCR test. 

a. The nearest testing facility would be at Thammasat University Hospital (TUH).  However, it limits its tests (@THB 3,000) to 50 per day.  Thus, if required, please queue at TUH from 7am to be included in the test quota for the day.

b. There are also medical companies that can provide RT-PCR test service at your own homes / units on campus.  One example is Medical One Services(@THB 3,800).   

c. The RT-PCR test can also be obtained from other preferred testing facilities (@THB 2,500-6,000).  The AIT OQ nursing service provider also provide such test service (c/o oqcenter@ait.ac.th).

3. Transport options

a. Individuals are expected to make their own transport arrangements (e.g. walk, bike, private car, taxi, AIT Motorpool car, etc) to obtain the RT-PCR test.  The AIT Motorpool cars need to be booked in advance during office hours subject to their availability(callcenter@ait.ac.th; somphongp@ait.ac.th; x5843 for K Somphong).

4. Once confirmed positive from RT-PCR test 

a. Please coordinate with OHRS (hro@ait.ac.th, for employees and dependents) and OSA (student-welfare@ait.ac.th, for students and dependents).  

b. TUH’s home-isolation program has recently been resumed.  Those assessed for home-isolation may stay at the designated Community OQ (COQ) on campus, which will be available from 20 January 2022.

c. Subsequent processes are systematically carried out / facilitated by the testing facility (or preferred hospital) that will arrange for pickup from one’s home to a hospital, or hotel or hospitel within their network.

5. Guidelines after recovering from COVID-19:

a. After completing the required quarantine and recovery period, and discharged from the hospital, hotel, hospitel or COQ, individuals who recovered from COVID-19 will be subject to an additional 7-day Self-Isolation (SI) either off-campus or on-campus: in designated SI buildings (those who tested positive in the OQ) or in their own accommodation units.  Movements during that time will be restricted and monitored, and one cannot attend classes or have meetings in person.

b. They are also strongly encouraged not to report to office or attend meetings / classes in-person for another week after the 7-day SI.

All the other earlier announced COVID-19 policies of AIT still stand, and please check with the Task Force if you have any queries and also visit the  Intranet page  where all COVID-19 related information and updates from the Task Force are available.

Please stay updated on news from the Government of Thailand and other updates from the AIT COVID-19 Task Force.  We urge you to continue to maintain a high level of safety and hygiene measures, like regularly washing your hands, wearing masks in public places and when in the company of people, maintaining social distancing, avoiding large crowds, and please visit the AIT Medical Center if you feel unwell.  We must all continue to remain vigilant.

AIT COVID-19 Task Force

2) Library Orientation for New Students: 17- 21 January 2022 (Via Zoom)

Email from AIT Library on 17 January 2022

AIT Library would like to invite all new students to attend the Library Orientation via zoom on 17th - 21th January 2022. 

Topics include the following:

• Library: overview
• Electronic Library resources and services
• How to access e-resources off-campus
• How to install OpenVPN
• How to search online databases

Please choose one session from the schedule below and register in advance at library@ait.ac.th.

The Zoom meeting ID and password will be sent to you by email.

For students, who cannot participate in the scheduled sessions, please feel free to contact the library for a group orientation at your convenience.

We look forward to seeing you at the orientation.

3) Regional Dialogue: Promoting Sustainable Food Consumption and the Shift to Healthy Diets in Asia through Farm to Fork Concept

The EU SWITCH-Asia Regional Policy Advocacy Component and United Nations Environment Programme (Regional Office for the Asia-Pacific) in partnership with TERI School of Advanced Studies and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT, Thailand) is pleased to invite you to attend the Regional Dialogue: Promoting Sustainable Food Consumption and the Shift to Healthy Diets in Asia through Farm to Fork Concept on 27 January 2022, 10:30-13:20 hrs (GMT+7 Bangkok Time).
The objective of the regional dialogue is to enrich existing knowledge and identify opportunities to promote sustainable and healthy diets in Asia through engaging wider stakeholders into the discussion on practical enablers that enhance healthy and sustainable diets in Asia; challenges and solutions that will encourage transformation towards more sustainable food systems and promote sustainable and healthy diets and existing best practices that showcase impactful yet easily implementable solutions/actions that can bring about radical changes in the way we consume as a society.

We hope that you will be able to join us and actively contribute to this webinar. Don't miss it!

To go directly to registration page, click this link:
forms.gle/nt4UuVoMeNtjFGeNA

For more information please contact:
Ms. Pondchanok Piraintorn (Japan)
Project Coordinator, AIT