Conestoga student athletes participating in varsity sports in Fall 2021 will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The new requirement, announced late in July, is the latest development in the college’s efforts to protect the safety and well-being of the college community as we gradually return to sports and increase on-campus activity for the 2021-22 academic year.
Students living in the college’s on-campus residence will also need to be fully vaccinated based on guidance provided by the Medical Officer of Health for Waterloo Region.
Varsity sports activities will begin their return to Ontario colleges this fall after the cancellation of the 2020-21 season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) has released the fall schedule for a number of sports, with additional information to be announced in the near future. Modified schedules and other provisions have been made to reduce the risk of virus transmission as Ontario continues to fight against a resurgence of COVID-19.
Conestoga joins a growing number of post-secondary institutions in Ontario that will require student athletes to be fully vaccinated to help prevent the spread of the virus and create a safer sports experience for all participants.
A survey of Conestoga’s student athletes conducted earlier in the summer to assess immunization status and intentions showed that almost 85 per cent of respondents either had already obtained their COVID-19 vaccinations or intended to get them in the near future.
Waterloo Region Public Health strongly recommends vaccination for all members of our community, including those learning or working at the Region’s three post-secondary institutions. High vaccination rates will provide added protection for students and employees as well as the broader community as pandemic restrictions ease and we look forward to the return of more on-campus activities and services.
For those seeking vaccines, appointments and walk-in service are readily available at clinics, pharmacies and primary care providers throughout the local community and across the province. Conestoga students and employees aged 18 and over can also book an appointment to receive their first or second vaccine doses on-campus at Doon. For more information regarding on-campus vaccination clinics, contact medicalcare@conestogac.on.ca