This update is provided for archival purposes only.
Public Health guidance and University of Waterloo operations may have changed. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our COVID-19 frequently asked questions.
While COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory illnesses continue to circulate in our community, there is now less risk of disruption to our academic activities so a mask requirement will not continue. However, given the ongoing impact of these conditions for members of our community, we strongly encourage you to think of the people around you and help limit the spread of COVID by wearing a mask in indoor settings this term.
Before the start of this term, we wrote to you to confirm the University’s COVID-19 health measures for the Fall term. Since then we have continued to monitor the latest data from Public Health Ontario and the Region of Waterloo and remain in communication with colleagues in public health to inform our plans for the health and safety of our campuses.
Recently, we have seen increases in COVID-19 hospitalization locally, and there are emerging trends from test positivity and wastewater that suggest increasing levels of COVID in the community now and in the near future. Taken together with higher rates of seasonal flu and other viruses, these trends mean we need to act now to protect our the most vulnerable in our community and to minimize disruptions to the end of term exam season.
As we head into the second week of classes for the Fall term, it is exciting to see the campus bustling with the energy of new and returning students. Here are a few things to note about helping keep yourselves and your peers safe.
This message is to provide information for researchers regarding safety plans, masking, and proof of vaccination requirementsfor human participant research, including research with vulnerable populations.
We are writing today to give you an update on public health restrictions on our campuses for the Spring term and beyond.
In light of the recent relaxation of public health restrictions as part of the Ontario government’s Roadmap to Reopen and on the basis of current local public health conditions, we will suspend our mask and proof of vaccination requirements for entry to campus, effective May 1.
