EDMONTON-
Universities that need masks on campus are in the minority as the fall semester and the prospect of another wave of COVID-19 infections loom.
Despite the lifting of provincial and territorial requirements for masks, some post-secondary institutions have decided to keep them for the safety of staff and students.
“At the moment, I think there is still a risk of significant disease waves, and caution makes sense to me,” said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alberta, where the Masking is encouraged, but not required, in most settings.
Fourteen of 83 universities surveyed by The Canadian Press via email, interviews and online notices say they will require students and employees to mask up in different settings on campus.
Western University in London, Ont., and an affiliated school, Huron University College, were the only respondents with vaccination mandates.
“While we cannot predict when the next wave of COVID-19 may arrive, we believe these measures will help us protect the in-person experience that Western is known for,” Western Provost Florentine Strzelczyk said in a statement. published at the university. website.
At Dalhousie University in Halifax, masks must be worn in classrooms and teaching spaces. They are voluntary in all other indoor spaces such as hallways, libraries and places of learning. Dalhousie does not have a vaccine requirement.
The Dalhousie Student Union was not involved in the decision-making, but it fully supports the mandate, spokeswoman Janet Bryson said. The Student Union Building is not a teaching space, so masking is not required.
“Masks have always been recommended, and we will continue to recommend that masks be worn in our spaces,” Bryson wrote in an email.
Ryan Simmons, a music student at MacEwan University in Edmonton, said he would prefer a mandate for vaccines to one for masks.
“It’s a higher education place, so hopefully most people at school are smart enough to get vaccinated,” said Simmons, whose COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date.
Simmons said universities should send notifications to students encouraging them to get their boosters. Regarding the mask requirements, Simmons said, “I’m totally okay with everything. As long as I’m in school, I’m a happy guy.”
MacEwan University announced that it would continue to encourage vaccinations and masks, but would not make them mandatory for the fall semester.
Cleome Wilkinson, a geography student at the University of Victoria, said she will still be wearing a mask in September. The University of Victoria does not have a mask or vaccine mandate in place for the Fall 2022 term.
“The disability community has been quite vocal about how masking in close contact spaces and indoor spaces is something that makes their lives easier and more comfortable,” Wilkinson said. “It’s something that’s important to me.”
The University of Manitoba is maintaining its indoor mask mandate until further notice.
Dr. Mark Torchia, academic team leader at the University of Manitoba, said mask mandates are more effective than vaccinations against the Omicron variant. As COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Manitoba, Torchia said it makes sense for the school, which has about 40,000 staff, faculty and students, to require mask-wearing.
Regarding the student response, Torchia said, “I heard from both sides, but mostly positive.”
Julie Lajoie, a research associate at the University of Manitoba, said she was relieved that the university was maintaining its mask mandate.
“The University of Manitoba really follows science.”
The University of Alberta said in a statement that “high-quality masks remain encouraged on University of Alberta campuses in high-traffic or high-capacity indoor areas or when accessing public or shared transportation. In some specific cases, masks will be required, such as clinical settings with Alberta Health Services masking requirements.”
Student Union president Abner Monteiro said his group had no part in the decision-making.
“Generally, students didn’t really report one way or another that they needed a mask mandate to feel comfortable in college,” he said. .
“What we want to see and assure the student union is that we have a preventative, proactive and planned approach from the university so that students have predictability above all else this year.”
Universities that offer medical training still have mask policies in clinical settings, as recommended by public health officials.
——
This report from The Canadian Press was first published August 24, 2022. With files from Steve Lambert in Winnipeg and Jordan Omstead in Toronto. This story was produced with the financial assistance of Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship
——
COVID-19 CONCERNS?
As a parent, do you have any concerns about the transmission of COVID-19 as your child returns to school? Are you planning to have your children vaccinated before classes resume or enroll them in virtual learning?
Share your story by emailing us at [email protected], and include your name and location. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.