The information provided below is subject to change based on adjustments in Italian and United States regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This site will be updated regularly to incorporate new information. 

The Italy Center has implemented health measures to allow social distancing and enhanced safety. Our students’ health, safety, and well-being will remain our highest priority.

 

 

ARRIVAL:

 

 

What does the situation look like in Italy as of September 2022?

The United States Department of State currently recommends caution when traveling to Italy because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC recommends that everyone traveling to Italy ages 5 years and older get their primary series of COVID-19 vaccine, and everyone ages 12 years and older also receive a booster. We are monitoring the US State Department and Ministry of Health recommendations related to students being abroad and updates from the Italian authorities. Our utmost priority is our students’ health and safety, so please be reassured that we are taking all of the necessary precautions.

As of May 2022, Italy has vaccinated about 90% of its population (full cycle). The region of Emilia Romagna, where Bologna is located, has vaccinated 99.5% of its population. Proof of vaccination is no longer required, with the exception of health facilities.

The Italian government will consider any restrictions based on the rate of cases reported per 100k inhabitants and intensive care occupancy rates at a regional level.

 

What safety regulations must I follow when arriving in Italy?

As of June 2022, US travelers are no longer required to present the following:

1) proof of completion of the anti-COVID vaccination, at least 14 days before departure. Those vaccinated in the U.S.A. can prove this showing an electronic document or the “white card” bearing a CDC logo;

2) recovery from COVID-19 (with a medical certificate outlining any necessary information). The certificate of recovery is valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive swab.

3) negative rapid antigenic or molecular PCR test carried out in the 24/48 hours prior to entering Italy (proved via certification from the laboratory that performed the test).

However, the situation may change during the course of the semester. 

 

Additionally, foreign travelers arriving in the EU/Italy are no longer required to complete a digital locator form. However, the common EU digital passenger locator form is still required for most passengers traveling to France, Malta, and Slovenia as their final destination.
The Digital Locator Form can be found here.

These regulations are subject to change, the Italy Center will keep students informed of what to expect  upon their arrival in Bologna. In the event a quarantine period is imposed, the Italy Center has put into  place a set of on-site orientation events that will allow students to begin classes and meet one another  within the residence hall.  

 

Do I need to be tested before arriving in Italy, even if I am vaccinated?

No. However, the situation may change during the course of the semester. Please consult with the airline directly for any additional requirements.

 

What is the COVID-19 vaccine policy for the Italy Center?

The Spring Hill College Italy Center strongly recommends that students complete their vaccination cycle, including their booster shot, before coming to Italy. 

The Italian government currently requires proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 to access health facilities only. However, COVID-19 regulations may change, affecting the quality of the students’ Italian, academic, and European experiences.

Students might also be subject to additional travel restrictions within Italy, the EU, or neighboring countries if reported COVID cases rose on a national or international level.

The Italy Center will not be responsible for any limitations that might be reintroduced for those who are unvaccinated or whose proof of vaccination expires while in Italy. For anyone scheduled to come to Italy, securing the booster shot (the “Third Dose”) in the US before traveling to Italy, or Europe, in general, is the best and strongly suggested option.

 

The Italy Center will not be responsible for arranging or covering the cost of any COVID tests required by law for students. 

 

LIFE IN BOLOGNA

The Italian Super Green Pass

The Italian government currently does not require proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from COVID-19 for people to use public transport, check into hotels, and sit at bars, restaurants, and all public venues. There is no curfew, and no restrictions on intercity or interstate travel apply. The Super Green Pass is required to access health facilities, including the ER. 

CDC cards are currently being accepted in the EU as an equivalent for the Super Green Pass, with the following validity:

• 6-months validity from the last vaccination 
• Unlimited validity after the third booster dose is received.
• Unlimited validity after a minimum of two vaccinations AND proof of recovery from COVID-19 (in the form of a lab-certified negative test)

 

What are the general measures on the Italy Center accommodation to protect the community from COVID-19?

The Student Hotel provides study-abroad housing at locations across Europe and offers a high degree of safety measures related to COVID-19. The Student Hotel completed construction in the Fall of 2020, and the structure’s design explicitly addresses health and safety (i.e., high-level air ventilation systems, isolation rooms, etc.). Cleanliness and prevention standards have been developed with and vetted by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspections, and certification.

In addition, each staff member has been trained in workplace health and safety, including how to handle guests reporting COVID-19 symptoms and how to apply measures to prevent any spread. Staff is available 24 hours per day to meet with students concerned about their health. The Program Coordinators are available 24/7 and live in the Italy Center residence hall.

 

Automatic hand cleansers are placed near the hotel entrances, and face masks are available at the front desk upon request. 

 

Can students use the gymnasium, community, kitchen, and various other parts of the building that are normally open to the community?

The Student Hotel gyms, lobbies, and shared kitchens are large enough for people to remain social at a safe distance. The Student Hotel has intensified and increased the cleaning of all surfaces in the rooms, co-working spaces, and all bar and restaurant areas. All the cleaning staff must change gloves after cleaning and disinfect all sensitive surfaces using detergents approved by health authorities.

 

What will classes and courses look like?

Classroom capacity has been reduced to meet the social distancing guidelines established by the local public health and safety authorities. Hand sanitation products are available in all classrooms, and disinfection protocols are followed as recommended by the Italian department of health. When possible, classroom windows and doors will remain open to maximize airflow.

Since September 2021, the IC has offered all its community engagement and immersion courses, although government regulations apply. Our partners are fully vaccinated and use current safety protocols recommended by the Italian government. Alternative ways for students to complete immersion courses will be available in case of increased COVID-related restrictions.

 

What is the Italy Center doing to provide safety when away from campus on school-sponsored tours?

All Italy Center-sponsored tours will be within Italy for the Fall 2022. The school-sponsored tours will allow for greater protection as we provide safe distancing and other health measures in light of the COVID-19 requirements. All our faculty, staff, and partners are fully vaccinated. 

We hope students view this situation as an opportunity to embrace Italian culture and complete the program feeling more like a local than a visitor. Our faculty and staff are always eager to share ways to explore Bologna and Italy to make sure that students make the most out of their study abroad experience.

What about students wanting to travel around Europe during the semester?

Travel outside Italy is permitted but highly discouraged. Due to difficulties in predicting the future evolution of the pandemic, travel restrictions may be adopted without prior notice, which may complicate attempts to move around Europe. Students should thoroughly research their travel destination and make sure that they understand and follow all airline and destination requirements related to travel, testing, masking, or quarantine, which may differ from US and Italy requirements. 

 

Students must keep the Italy Center staff informed and updated about their travel plans when traveling on their own. Students need to fill in a travel form before they travel and make sure they carry a copy of their passport and CDC card with them at all times.

 

No financial reimbursement from the Italy Center is available for students who test positive for COVID before returning to the Italy Center and are held abroad while traveling on their own. Students will be able to follow classes online if held abroad for COVID-related protocols.

Students must keep the Italy Center staff informed and updated about their travel plans when traveling on their own. Depending on the destination, students may need to fill in a travel form before they travel. Students should make sure they carry a copy of their passport. Bringing CDC cards at all times should also be considered. In 2021-2022, CDC cards have been accepted in the EU as an equivalent for the Green Pass, with a 6-months validity from the last vaccination or booster dose received.

Do I need to bring a mask or face covering to Italy?

In Italy, wearing face masks is required in all health facilities and public transportation. Masks are also highly recommended in crowded places and indoor areas, where social distancing cannot be maintained. The specific FFP2 masks are mandatory until the end of the COVID-19 emergency on public transportation (bus, trains, underground). 

As a general rule, you must always carry a face mask with you and wear it if you find yourself in crowded conditions that do not allow the 1-meter safety distance to be maintained. This includes Italy Center facilities, including classrooms, and The Student Hotel.

Other countries in Europe have different mask requirements, so students should be ready to adapt, purchase protective equipment, and test as required when traveling.

What if a student is feeling unwell?

All program participants will be asked to self-monitor for symptoms of illness. For the student’s comfort and the protection of other participants and Italy Center Staff, the Program Director may require the students to take a COVID test, depending on the program doctor’s advice and assessment of the student’s symptoms and conditions, regardless of the student’s vaccination status.

Required quarantine and/or isolation are possible, as regulated by the Italy Center and the Italian Health Ministry. If you test positive for COVID-19 during the program, you will be required to isolate yourself. You will be able to follow all your classes online.

If you come into contact with somebody who tests positive or shows symptoms of COVID-19, you must immediately report this to the Italy Center Program Coordinators and Director. For the student’s own comfort and the protection of other participants and Italy Center Staff, the exposed individual will be  tested and moved to a private room to self-quarantine until test results are made available. A negative test result will allow the students to return to normal school activities.

As of September 1st, 2022, the following regulations apply: 

• anyone who is COVID-19 positive must stay in full isolation for a minimum of 5 days;
• the person in question must be without symptoms for at least 2 days, then, an official rapid or molecular test has to be taken and only if negative is the person free from isolation;
• otherwise, isolation will have to continue up to 14 days.

Violation of isolation is a serious infringement of the law, that may even represent a crime under Italian law (“epidemia colposa,” namely transmission of epidemic for negligence). 

Anyone who has had close contact with a COVID-19 positive subject will be obliged to follow the so-called “self-monitoring” regime (“auto sorveglianza”), which means:

• Obligation to wear a FFP2 mask indoors (including office, classroom, and The Student Hotel), or, when there is an “assembramento” outdoors, until the 10th day after the date of the last close contact with COVID-19 positive subjects;
• Obligation to a molecular or antigenic test whenever symptoms arise and, if still symptomatic, on the 5th day after the last close contact. Students will be asked to self-monitor for symptoms and take a COVID-19 at-home test. 

Can the Italy Center provide a self-isolation room if a student needs to quarantine from the rest of the community?

Yes. The Student Hotel has ready isolation rooms if a student needs to remain in the building but no longer be in contact with staff or residents. 

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, he or she will need to isolate:

• For minimum 7 days, if they received a third dose of vaccine (booster shot), or two doses + certified proof of recovery from COVID-19, before testing negative and re-entering the community;
• Otherwise, for a minimum of 10 days, before testing negative and re-entering the community.

Most young people who have tested positive for the Coronavirus do not enter the hospital but remain on home rest. In this case, a student will stay in one of the isolation rooms of the residence hall. The Italy Center staff are equipped with the proper PPE protective clothing allowing food to be delivered to the sick student. Students will be able to continue following classes online if they feel they can do so. The Italy Center staff will have ongoing correspondence with the sick student to monitor the situation closely. The ill student will remain isolated from the broader community until cleared by Italian health professionals to re-enter communal life. Students will be responsible for covering the costs of the room.

What happens if a student tests positive and their health continues to decline?

The first step is that a student who needs isolation will remain on campus in an isolation room until cleared by a medical doctor to return to everyday campus life. A student showing more serious signs that indicate he/she may need to be transferred to the hospital will follow the protocol in place as determined by the Italian Department of Health. In short, a paramedic team arrives from the hospital at the residence hall to assess whether or not a student needs to be taken to the hospital’s COVID-19 Care Facility. The Italy Center staff will facilitate communication and translate when needed for the student. 

If a student is experiencing COVID symptoms, The Italy Center Program Doctor, Dr. Williams, and Director, Dr. Alia Nardini, will be available to assist and advise. The procedure for students experiencing COVID symptoms is detailed in our COVID Playbook (available upon request). 

How trustworthy are the hospitals in Bologna?

According to the World Health Organization’s report, the average level of medical care in Italy is high compared to international standards: the Italian healthcare system ranked 2nd best in terms of performance in the World according to the World Health Organization’s report, and Italian doctors are usually very qualified. 

Additionally, Bologna is fortunate to have some of the top medical facilities in the country. The City has a long history of providing high-quality care. During the first peek of the Coronavirus outbreak (mid-March 2020), the Bologna hospitals did not run short on beds, ventilators, or PPE equipment. Bologna’s facilities could handle the crisis in ways that neighboring cities and regions were not.  

If students are asked to return home to the United States before the semester ends, how will this be implemented?

The Italy Center Administration relies on guidance from the United States Embassy about American citizens’ safety while in Italy. In addition, the Center for Disease Control sets clear guidelines about the health risk. These sources will inform the decision to return students. If the Coronavirus reaches a level of risk indicating students must return to the US, students and parents will be well informed in the weeks and days leading up to the decision. Our program’s key to the success of handling a return is frequent, clear, and ongoing communication with partner institutions and parents.  

 

Can a student have a single room?

There are a limited number of single rooms at The Student Hotel. There will be an additional cost for a single room of up to $1200 above one’s current room cost for the semester. Students who would like to apply for a single room should contact the Italy Center at least 2 months before departure. The allocation of single rooms will be through a selection process and influenced heavily by availability at the Student Hotel. Students with a prior medical history will be given priority for a single room. 

If the semester program is cut short, will students be able to obtain academic credits for the semester?

Yes. All students will be able to finish their courses online and still obtain academic credits for all the courses they enrolled in, including immersion courses.

 

What type of financial reimbursement will be available if the semester program is cut short?

In the event students are required to return to the United States by either the Director of the Italy Center or their home campus Global Engagement staff, the reimbursement for meals and housing only are as follows:

Refund Policy 

• Fall 2022 Semester
  • Before October 24: 50% refund
  • October 25-November 30: 30% refund
  • After December 1: No refund