COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub

Operating hours

The CCT Hub is open seven days a week.
Monday to Friday 09:00 - 17:30
Saturday to Sunday 08:00 - 16:00

Updated 18 October 2020

On this page you’ll find out about:

  • contact tracing – what it is 
  • the College’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub (CCT Hub)
  • what to do if you have symptoms and are awaiting a test or test result 
  • what to do if you receive a positive test 
  • what to do if you or someone in your household is displaying symptoms 
  • what to expect if you’re a close contact of someone with the virus
  • how to manage visitors and contractors to our campuses


Contact tracing 

This is the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) and then requiring them to self-isolate for 14 days from the last day of exposure. You may be contacted by either the NHS Test and Trace service or the College’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub (CCT Hub) because you have tested positive for COVID-19, or you have been exposed to someone who has. 

Your role in contact tracing 

You have an important role to play in ensuring that NHS Test and Trace and the CCT Hub will be able to carry out effective contact tracing if someone who has been on our campuses tests positive for COVID-19. As well as downloading the NHS COVID-19 app, you also need to scan the NHS and Imperial QR codes when you are on campus. Find out more about the QR codes and what you need to do.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub (CCT Hub) 

Imperial’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub (CCT Hub) supports staff and students and complements the NHS Test and Trace service.  

The CCT Hub is here to help you if: 

  • you are experiencing or displaying symptoms of COVID-19  
  • you’ve had a positive test result for coronavirus (COVID-19) or  
  • you’ve been in close contact with someone who has the virus.  

Information the CCT Hub will need and how they’ll use it

Information the CCT Hub will need and how they’ll use it

You will need to provide the CCT Hub with information to assist with contact tracing. The CCT Hub is run by the College’s Occupational Health department and patient data will be kept confidential. Find out more here:  

The online questionnaire 

We’ll ask you to complete some basic details about you – your name, CID, department, when you last attended on campus, details of specific locations visited, whether you live in College accommodation. 

If you have symptoms  (high temperature, continuous cough, loss of smell or taste)  we’ll ask when these started. 

Date of COVID-19 Test  

If you indicate you have multiple close contacts, the CCT Hub will ask you to complete a spreadsheet to provide details of these close contacts.   

This means people you have: 

  • shared accommodation with (including College accommodation with shared kitchen/bathroom facilities or private student accommodation)
  • had intimate physical or sexual contact with
  • been within 2 metres for 15 minutes or more
  • been within 1 metre for more than one minute regardless of wearing a face covering 
  • had face-to-face contact (within 1 metre) including being coughed on 
  • had skin-to-skin physical contact 
  • travelled in a small vehicle with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or in a large vehicle or plane near someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 

We won’t ask you to specify how someone is a close contact – we'll just ask you to provide their name and contact details. 

How will the data I provide be used?

The data you submit in the questionnaire will be reviewed by the CCT Hub team, which consists of clinical and administrative staff working to specific protocols to undertake effective contact tracing. 

The CCT Hub team will get in touch with your close contacts and ask them to self-isolate for 14 days. If you are awaiting a test result you will need to update the CCT Hub so your close contacts can be advised to a) continue to isolate or b) resume normal life. We won’t share your name when we do this. 

We may need to get in touch with your department, if for example you’re not sure of the names of people you have been in close contact with and also to arrange cleaning but we won't share your name. 

Staff contacted by the CCT Hub for support

Staff who are contacted by the CCT Hub for support with contact tracing, are asked to please provide them with the information they ask for, and forward messages to students promptly if requested. Look out for emails from covidcthub@imperial.ac.uk .

If you have COVID-19 symptoms

I’m a student

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, please do the following:  

1. Self-isolate immediately in your accommodation, do not visit any campuses. If you’re in halls of residence – inform the halls’ Warden using the online form. More information, including the online form, and information about ordering food deliveries from the College can be found on the dedicated webpage about  self-isolating in halls on the College website. 

2. Report your symptoms and share details of your contacts by completing the questionnaire on MyImperial. 

3. Inform your Programme or Course Manager. 

4. Book a test as soon as possible by calling 119 or through the  NHS webpage. 

5. Take the COVID-19 test. 

6a. If your test is NEGATIVE:

  • inform the CCT Hub, by completing the form sent to you.
  • leave self-isolation, as long as you no longer have a fever and everyone you live with or members of your support bubble who have symptoms also tested negative
  • update your status on MyImperial.

OR 

6b. If your test is POSITIVE, continue with self-isolation for a minimum of 10 days, or until you no longer have a fever.  

7. Report the outcome of your positive COVID-19 test via MyImperial and update your status - this will inform your department of your absence - then complete the questionnaire that you'll be asked to complete within MyImperial that will alert the CCT Hub.

The CCT Hub will make contact with the close contacts you have identified but they will not share your name.  

Still confused about self-isolation? Then visit the NHS website for guidance. 

I’m a member of staff

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, please do the following:  

1. Start self-isolating at home as soon as you develop COVID symptoms. Do not go onto any campus.  

2. Report your symptoms and share details of your contacts by completing the online questionnaire

3. Inform your line manager and log your absence on Teamseer.  

4. Book a test as soon as possible by calling 119 or through the  NHS webpage. 

5. Take the COVID-19 test.  

6a. If your test is NEGATIVE:

  • inform the CCT Hub
  • leave self-isolation, as long as you no longer have a fever and everyone you live with or members of your support bubble who have symptoms also tested negative
  • update Teamseer.

OR 

6b. If your test is POSITIVE, continue with self-isolation for a minimum of 10 days, or until you no longer have a fever.  Look at the NHS website for self-isolation guidance. 

7. Report your positive COVID-19 using by completing the CCT Hub online questionnaire.  

The CCT Hub will make contact with the close contacts you have identified but they will not share your name.  

If you receive a positive test for COVID-19

I’m a student

If you have a positive test result, please do the following: 

1. Self-isolate in your accommodation immediately for a minimum of 10 days. If you're in halls of residence inform the halls’ Warden using this online form. More information, including the link to the same online form, and information about ordering food deliveries from the College can be found on the dedicated webpage about  self-isolating in halls on the College website. 

If you're in private accommodation, look at the advice about self-isolating on  the NHS website. 

2. Report your positive test and share details of your contacts by completing the questionnaire on MyImperial. See the information you’ll be asked for in the section above.

3. Inform your course or programme manager.

For more support from the College, check out the Student Support Zone webpages. 

If you have received a positive test result from the College COVID-19 testing scheme your details will be automatically shared with the CCT Hub. A member of the Hub team will contact you to complete a questionnaire so that we can carry out contact tracing.  

In addition, COVID-19 is a notifiable disease – it is a statutory requirement for positive tests to be reported to Public Health England (PHE). This means your positive test result, including your details will be passed on to PHE to allow the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing process to be activated.

The CCT Hub will make contact with the close contacts you have identified but they will not share your name.  

I’m a member of staff

If you have a positive test result, please do the following:

1. Self-isolate at home immediately for a minimum of ten days.  

2. Inform your line manager and log your absence on Teamseer. 

3. Report using this online questionnaire. More details about the questionnaire can be found above.  

More information can be found on  the NHS website  and the  HR webpages.  

If you have received a positive test result from the College COVID-19 testing scheme your details will be automatically shared with the CCT Hub. A member of the Hub team will contact you to complete a questionnaire so that we can carry out contact tracing.  

In addition, COVID-19 is a notifiable disease – it is a statutory requirement for positive tests to be reported to Public Health England (PHE). This means your positive test result, including your details will be passed on to PHE to allow the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing process to be activated.

The CCT Hub will make contact with the close contacts you have identified but they will not share your name.

I’ve been identified as a close contact with somebody who has symptoms, but not tested positive yet

I’m a student

If you are contacted by the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub to advise you that you are a close contact and are therefore at risk of carrying the virus. Please do the following: 

1. If you live in a hall of residence, you must self-isolate in your accommodation immediately until you hear from the CCT Hub. You must also inform the halls’ Warden using this online form. More information, including another link to the same online form, and information about ordering food deliveries from the College can be found on the dedicated webpage about  self-isolating in halls on the College website. Do not visit any of the campuses. 

2. If you do not live in a hall of residence, you are not required to self-isolate however you will be required to stay away from campus until the test result comes back.

3. Complete the form in MyImperial. 

4. Inform your programme or course manager.

If the CCT Hub advises you that the contact tested POSITIVE do the following:  

1. Self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days.  

2. Update your status on MyImperial.

3. Inform your course or programme manager.

4. If you develop symptoms request a Test.

If the CCT Hub advises you that the contact tested NEGATIVE do the following:  

1. You can return to Campus.

2. Update your status on MyImperial.

3. Inform your course or programme manager.

Still confused about self-isolation? Visit the NHS website for guidance. 

I’m a member of staff

If you are contacted by the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub to advise you that you are a close contact and are therefore at risk of carrying the virus. Please do the following: 

1. You are not required to self-isolate however you will be required to stay away from the Campus until you hear from the CCT Hub.

2. Inform your line manager and log your absence on Teamseer. 

If the CCT Hub advises you that the contact tested POSITIVE do the following:  

1. Self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days.  

2. Inform your line manager and log your absence on Teamseer.

3. If you develop symptoms request a Test using the NHS testing service.

If the CCT Hub advises you that the contact tested NEGATIVE do the following:  

1. You can return to Campus.  

2. Inform your line manager and log your absence on Teamseer.  

I’ve been identified as a close contact with somebody who has tested positive for COVID-19

I’m a student

1. Expect to be contacted by the CCT Hub covidcthub@imperial.ac.uk, the NHS contact trace team or both. They will be in touch to let you know you have been identified as a contact.  

2. Self-isolate in your accommodation immediately for a minimum of 14 days, you will be told when your self-isolation period will come to an end. If you're in halls of residence inform the halls’ Warden using this online form. More information, including the link to the same online form, and information about ordering food deliveries from the College can be found on the dedicated webpage about  self-isolating in halls on the College website.

3. Complete the form on MyImperial.

4. Inform your course or programme manager.

You should not request a COVID test unless you develop symptoms. If you have a test while you are self-isolating you still need to complete your 14 days self-isolation period, even if the test result is negative. 

If you develop symptoms while you are in self-isolation, you need to book a test and self-isolate for 10 days from the day your symptoms started, even if this means self-isolating for more than 14 days.

I’m a member of staff

1. Expect to be contacted by the CCT Hub covidcthub@imperial.ac.uk, the NHS contact trace team or both. They will be in touch to let you know you have been identified as a contact.  

2. Self-isolate at home immediately for a minimum of 14 days, you will be told when your self-isolation period will come to an end.  

3. Inform your line manager and log your absence on Teamseer.  

You should not request a COVID test unless you develop symptoms. If you have a test while you are self-isolating you still need to complete your 14 days self-isolation period, even if the test result is negative. 

If you develop symptoms while you are in self-isolation, you need to book a test and self-isolate for 10 days from the day your symptoms started, even if this means self-isolating for more than 14 days.  

These pages will be updated with more information in the coming days.