University of Waterloo mandates masks indoors for rest of term, Toronto waiting on province
Posted November 8, 2022 2:34 pm.
Last Updated November 8, 2022 3:26 pm.
The University of Waterloo is mandating masks indoors for the rest of the academic term, a move that will go into effect as of Nov. 9.
The school made the announcement on Tuesday, noting that students and faculty must be masked indoors and participating in academic instruction. This includes wearing a face covering during lectures, seminars, teaching labs, tests, exams and all other forms of academic instruction, wherever it happens indoors.
“Recently, we have seen increases in local COVID-19 hospitalizations, and there are emerging trends from test positivity and wastewater that suggest increasing levels of COVID in the community now and in the near future,” university leaders wrote in a message to students.
“These trends mean we need to act now to minimize disruption to the end-of-term exam season and to protect the most vulnerable people in our community.”
The University of Waterloo says students may be asked to wear masks in other places, such as meeting with an instructor or teaching assistant. The masking requirement does not apply in non-instructional areas like food courts or residences.
“If you are not sure what to do: wear a mask,” the university noted in its update.
Dr. Eileen de Villa: Mask mandate not returning right now
The University of Waterloo announced in late August that it would not mandate masks ahead of the fall semester in September.
In the “Frequently Asked Questions” section online, the University of Waterloo says it decided to re-introduce masking requirements to protect people who are learning and working near others, particularly in large groups, “and to reduce disruption to the important end-of-term exam season.”
“This means we are defining ‘academic activities’ broadly,” the university confirmed. “If students are in any doubt, we’re asking them to wear a mask. We can all participate by positively encouraging the community to wear a mask in most settings.”
When asked if Toronto Public Health (TPH) would re-introduce a mask mandate indoors, the city’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said she’s following the province’s lead.
Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, speaks to the media at city hall in Toronto on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
A few universities do still have previous mask requirements in place. Western University has said its mask mandate will be in place until the end of the fall term.
Seneca College, which said last month that it would drop its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy in the new year, also has a mask requirement in effect until further notice.
In August, Ontario’s Ministry of Education said mask usage would be optional, and most COVID-19 protocols would be unchanged from when the 2021-22 school year ended in the spring.
The province dropped the mask mandate for schools in March 2022.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, has said if COVID-19 starts affecting the ability to reduce the surgical backlog he would suggest the government make a recommendation on masking in specific indoor settings. If there are other effects, he would recommend reinstating mask mandates.
Dr. Moore acknowledged that he is constantly monitoring COVID-19 indicators, ICU occupancy and flu activity in weighing his decision on masks.
Flu shots are now available to Ontarians aged six months and older. Dr. Moore urges everyone to get them as soon as possible because they don’t take effect until 10 to 14 days post-vaccination, which is about when flu activity will start to pick up.
With files from The Canadian Press
