Questions?
Please email coronavirus@uwaterloo.ca.
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.
This message was originally sent to students by Kate Windsor, Director of Safety.
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.
Rapid antigen tests are available to students who need them at Campus Housing Front Desks, as well as at the Turnkey Desk locations in the Student Life Centre and Davis Centre. Each student may access a limited stock of kits. Households/roommates who want tests are asked to pick up one kit (of 5) per household.
Individuals with COVID-19 symptoms who use rapid antigen tests should be aware that they may produce false negative results, particularly early in COVID-19 infection. Repeat testing at least 24 hours after an initial negative test is necessary. Those with COVID-19 symptoms shall not end their isolation period, despite a negative rapid test result, until their symptoms have been improving for 24 hours (or 48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms) and no fever is present. Individuals must follow the isolation guidelines in our student protocols, available on our COVID-19 website.
Rapid antigen tests are not recommended for people who do not have symptoms and they should not be used for screening purposes.
Students may also access rapid test kits at most grocery stores and pharmacies – for a list of locations, visit the provincial website.
When you are in close contact with others – for example in classrooms – we strongly encourage you to consider wearing a tight-fitting, multi-layer mask. Both cloth and disposable medical masks are available for students, and can be picked up upon request at several locations including:
A medical mask provides the best protection.
A vaccine centre is available at Health Services and open to all students, employees, and family members of students and employees. Vaccines available are Moderna and Pfizer. Appointments must be booked in advance, and you must be free of COVID-19 symptoms to attend. Please call 519-888-4096 to book your appointment or visit the website for more information.
We ask that you do the Ontario self-assessment if you have COVID-19 symptoms or think you were exposed to the virus. Find out more about student protocols for classes and exams in the case you are ill, including how to self-declare your absence in Quest.
Thank you in advance for all your efforts to keep our campus community safe.
Please email coronavirus@uwaterloo.ca.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.