Frequently asked questions

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or think you were exposed to the virus you should complete the Ontario self-assessment to get advice on what to do and whether you should stay home.

• If you live in residences: 

  • you must contact reslifeteam@uwaterloo.ca for help if you are experiencing symptoms, are concerned about exposure, have been identified as a high-risk contact, or have received advice to self-isolate. We are here to help you. 

• If you think you will miss classes, due dates or exams due to COVID: 

  • contact your course instructor(s) before or within 48 hours of a test, exam, or due date. 
  • complete the illness self-declaration form in the Personal Information section of Quest. Learn more on how to self-declare an illness. 

You do not need to inform Occupational Health if you develop symptoms, are told you need to self-isolate, or test positive for COVID-19.  If you need to be off work due to COVID-19 related illness, please notify your supervisor and record any sick days in Workday.

No. Experts agree a that getting booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccination as you are eligible is important because vaccination continues to offer the best protection against the severe illness, hospitalization and death. Up to date vaccinations also reduce your risk of infection. You can book your booster dose on the provincial vaccination portal or by booking with Campus Wellness. We are no longer collecting information on vaccination status. The School of Pharmacy provides clear advice and FAQs on boosters.

A vaccine centre is available at Health Services to all students, employees, and family members of students and employees (18 years of age or older).

You must be COVID-19 symptom free and have completed the daily campus check in to attend a clinic to be vaccinated. Students, employees, and family members of students and employees are eligible to receive this vaccine. The vaccine centre offers the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

If you are unsure of your vaccination status because you either obtained a vaccine in another country/province, or you are unsure if you are able to receive a vaccine, please contact Region of Waterloo Public Health at 519-575 4400. 

Waterloo’s campuses have 100 major buildings with 398 HVAC units, supporting a variety of research, teaching and staff and student activities. Since November 2020, every building has been retrofitted to accommodate MERV13 filters. MERV13 filters are recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers and over the pandemic have become standard across the industry because they are more effective at filtering small droplets and particles that travel through the air (at least 85 per cent efficient at capturing particles in the 1 µm to 3 µm size range). Learn more about upgrades to Waterloo’s ventilation systems. 

Plant Operations has a cleaning schedule available on their website. Further questions regarding cleaning should be directed to Plant Operations. 

New undergraduate students

Waterloo Ready will help guide you through every step over the next few months and into your first year as a Waterloo Warrior. It’s an initiative to help you to make personal connections with other students, get insider tips, and learn about how to successfully navigate your first year.

New graduate students

Waterloo Grad Ready program is designed especially for master’s and doctoral students. The program will connect you to other graduate students, support you along your academic journey to Waterloo and make sure you’re keeping up to date with important deadlines.

If you are struggling with your mental health during these changing times, reach out for support through Human Resources, Occupational Health, Here247 and Wellness Together Canada.

Mental Health at Work and Canadian Mental Health Association can help you transition back to your workplace.

Ongoing employees can access supports through Homewood Health, the University’s Employee and Family Assistance Program partner or at 1-800-663-1142. Topics include managing stress and anxiety, building resilience, dealing with financial stress, work life balance and more. 

• Students are encouraged to register with  AccessAbility Services  if they are experiencing long-term impacts from a COVID diagnosis, if they are immunocompromised, and/or if they require ‘wrap-around’ accommodations.  
• If you are delayed from returning to class because of COVID-19, please communicate with your instructors and advisors as soon as possible about your absence. 
• For extenuating circumstances or if you have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 which has affected your academic record, you may wish to discuss with your academic advisor whether to submit a  petition for exception to academic regulations in line with Policy 70. 

Approvals have returned to pre-pandemic approval arrangements.

If you are fully vaccinated and you can meet certain travel safety requirements, you may resume international travel for University of Waterloo related business, research, work terms, study, and co-curricular activities. There are three requirements for students: obtain approval, register travel, and complete the pre-departure and travel risk mitigation activities. 

The process for faculty and staff international travel is different now than before the pandemic began. There are two requirements for faculty and staff: register travel outside of the United States and complete the pre-departure and travel risk mitigation activities. 

We want to make sure that any University-related travel you do is safe and that you have support where it is needed. Review the process on the Safety Abroad webpage and contact safetyabroad@uwaterloo.ca for assistance or with questions.

For most instructors in most courses, their plans for accommodation due to students self-isolating will be similar to the accommodation that would be provided to students who have to miss some classes due to illness, family emergency, etc. Waterloo instructors routinely show compassion and provide means for such students to succeed in their courses when these events beyond their control happen to them.

Students needing to self-isolate can use the Illness/Isolation Declaration form in Quest and make arrangements with their instructor.

Visit the information for instructors page.  

• Depending on your appointment length and type you may be entitled to sick leave credits; visit the  Benefit Eligibility  section of the Human Resources website for more information.    
• Generally, in-person classes do not need to be cancelled if it is possible for you and your supervisor to arrange a replacement instructor. 

Generally no, unless the situation is found to be high risk for the instructor or other students in the class.  

If any changes to academic or other programming, or to any campus operations are required, the University will work to identify where those changes will occur, including consulting with local Public Health. 

• This is not a decision to be made unilaterally by a course instructor. If you have health and safety concerns specifically about the instructional space or class behaviour, your first step should be to discuss them with your department chair, who may consult offices that have influence over operations or the conduct that is causing concern.  
• If this does not resolve the situation:   
  • Instructors or TAs may also contact a worker rep of the  Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC)  for advice, or to request further consultation from the Safety Office. The University has a  work refusal process  to address unresolved concerns where work is thought to be unsafe after consulting with the chair.  

You do not need to notify your class about cases. Public Health Ontario no longer requires this type of notification in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We all have a role to play in ensuring students understand expectations about wearing masks when in academic settings. Faculty and instructors are asked to remind students of the mask wearing requirement. If a student is not wearing a mask, you can ask them to put one on or invite them to leave the class or examination. 

As is the case in any term, instructors may be faced with behaviour in or near a learning space that impedes the effective delivery of their session. Instructors should use their best judgement about how and whether to attempt to end such disruptions so that the session can continue (asking disruptors in a class to leave, asking disruptors outside the class to move to another place, etc.).  

If a student indicates they are unable to wear a mask for medical or other reasons, you may request proof of their accommodation, and if unavailable, choose to ask the student(s) to leave the class or examination until their accommodation status is confirmed. If a student has an accommodation related to face coverings, they are expected to present this to the instructor in advance.   

As is always the case, you can report issues to the relevant associate dean under Policy 71.  

This is not a decision to be made unilaterally by a course instructor. If you have health and safety concerns specifically about the instructional space or class behaviour, your first step should be to discuss them with your department chair, who may consult offices that have influence over operations or the conduct that is causing concern. 

If this does not resolve the situation, instructors or TAs may also contact a worker rep of the Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) for advice, or request further consultation from the Safety Office. The University has a work refusal process to address unresolved concerns where work is thought to be unsafe after consulting with the chair.

• If a student is not wearing a mask, they should be directed to put one on or leave the examination location.

• If a student indicates they are unable to wear a mask for medical or other reasons, you may request proof of their accommodation, and if unavailable, ask the student to leave the examination location. If a student has a mask accommodation, they are expected to present this to the instructor/proctor in advance.

• If the student refuses to leave the examination room, report the issue to the relevant associate dean under Policy 71 once the examination session is complete.

• Students who miss all or part of an examination due to non-compliance with the masking requirement are not entitled to a deferred examination or any other special consideration.

Your  faculty  website  will offer a variety of supports available to you as a student regardless of where you are studying. Check your faculty’s website for more information and updates to services.  

The  International Student Guide  shares relevant information for international students  in regards to: academic  supports, getting involved, and health and wellness.  

The  International Peer Community  supports undergraduate and graduate students in adjusting to life at UWaterloo. The winter 2022 registration is now open.  

For  undergraduate students looking to connect with clubs and societies,  the  Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA)  is offering many of its clubs and services online.  

For  graduate students looking for support, the  Graduate  Student Association  offers  supports and services online.  

Immigration:  

For information and documents to prepare to come to Canada, visit the Government of Canada website.   

Border entry:  

Effective October 1, 2022, the Government of Canada is removing COVID-19 border and travel measure for all travellers, regardless of citizenship. For more information please see the news release.

Effective October 1, 2022, the Government of Canada is removing COVID-19 border and travel measure for all travellers, regardless of citizenship. For more information please see the news release.

UHIP has minimal coverage for emergency out of country medical treatment. We recommended that you purchase travel insurance for the duration of your stay in another country. Your Studentcare Health & Dental Plan has travel insurance coverage, check your eligibility, limitations and if additional coverage is required. 

If you suspect you’re ill, visit the  Government of Ontario COVID-19 self-assessment website and follow the instructions. 

UHIP will provide coverage for medical doctor appointments, hospital stays, diagnostic tests, etc. as it does for other illnesses. Note: The WUSA and GSA Health plans cover the costs of prescriptions. 

If you’re unsure about your current UHIP coverage status, you can confirm by checking the termination date on your UHIP coverage card, or by e-mailing uhip@uwaterloo.ca. 

Check the  UHIP FAQs  about COVID-19.