The following message was distributed to all Conestoga employees on January 10 on behalf of Dean Bulloch, associate vice-president, Human Resources.
The news regarding the rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant this week has continued to be daunting and we know that the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has temporarily moved the province into Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen with modifications that have taken into account the province’s successful vaccination efforts.
Rest assured that Conestoga College is continuing to keep the health and safety of its employees at the forefront of all decisions and actions. From the start, we have worked extremely hard to ensure the health of the Conestoga Community.
“I am proud of Conestoga College and our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March of 2020, our President tapped into our internal leadership and expertise to create a pandemic response team to advise and navigate the college through the pandemic. The college has consistently focused on scientific evidence, and strong lines of communication with our local public health authorities, to make informed decisions to protect the health of our Conestoga community. For almost two years, we have safely delivered applied learning activities with no on-campus spread of COVID-19. By ensuring that all Conestoga staff, students, and visitors are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, our campuses have never been safer,” commented Curt Monk, Chair, Informatics & Life Sciences and member of the Executive Pandemic Planning Committee.
We continue to monitor and take guidance from the Ontario government and local public health authorities to ensure that we are up-to-date and following all guidelines and restrictions. As a community, we are taking steps to keep ourselves and others safe. All employees working at our campus locations are double vaccinated. This support goes a long way to keeping everyone healthy. I encourage you to get a booster as soon as possible.
We will continue to keep you updated on next steps and timelines as the information becomes available. For more information about the actions departments are taking to keep us all safe, please view the videos on All Things Conestoga at What to expect for Winter 2022. Know that we remain focused on maintaining the learning experience of our students and the health of our employees.