The following message was distributed to all employees on April 6 on behalf of President John Tibbits.
As we move into the final weeks of the Winter 2022 semester, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued commitment to supporting Conestoga students and our college community. Our full return to campus in March has been highly successful, providing most students with opportunities to engage in the in-person learning and activities that support a full college experience.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in Spring 2020, Conestoga’s primary concern has been to protect the safety and well-being of our college community while supporting students in the successful completion of their programs. Almost 30,000 students have participated in essential on-campus learning activities since July 2020 with no evidence of virus transmission on our campuses thanks to our strict adherence to infection prevention and control measures.
Recently, the Province of Ontario lifted many pandemic restrictions, including vaccination requirements and mandatory masking in public spaces. Many businesses and institutions, including post-secondary institutions, have announced plans for lifting or pausing requirements for such measures as well.
However, COVID is still a significant global threat. Key indicators suggest that Ontario has now entered a sixth wave resulting in up to 30,000 - 35,000 new infections each day. Daily case counts, outbreaks in nursing and retirement homes and other congregate settings as well as hospitalizations are all rising.
Given the surge in infections in our local community and across Ontario, Conestoga will maintain current vaccination and masking requirements for all students, employees and visitors into the Spring 2022 semester. These measures will help keep our campuses safe and protect all members of our college community, including the most vulnerable, as we move through the next phase of the pandemic.
We will continue to monitor conditions and re-evaluate requirements over the coming months. Any changes to existing requirements will be shared directly with the college community and announced through the college website and other communications channels.
Thank you for your support. Please stay safe and well and continue to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. If you are experiencing symptoms or have tested positive, do not come to campus.
For more information, visit the COVID-19 Information Hub on the Conestoga website.