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.

Region of Waterloo COVID-19 instructions take effect today

Monday, December 14, 2020

This message was originally sent to employees by the director of safety, Kate Windsor.

On December 10, the Region of Waterloo’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, issued instructions to workplaces and businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. The instructions take effect today.

The University has been proactive in many of the areas outlined by the Region, and thanks to our collective efforts across campus and current attention to the University’s safety protocols, we are well positioned to meet these instructions.

It is important to continue the following protocols to ensure we follow the Region’s instructions. Department heads, chairs and directors are responsible for ensuring these activities take place within their workplaces, and supervisors must monitor that procedures are being followed:

  • Return to Campus Safety Plans must be up to date, in writing, and a copy posted where it can be easily seen by individuals attending or working in the location. 
  • Employees must complete mandatory COVID-19 screening via Campus Check-In or with their supervisor or designate. 
  • Contractors and essential visitors (including visiting researchers) must complete mandatory COVID-19 screening. Contractors and visitors may use Campus Check-In as a guest, or the screening can be administered by the University contact with the print version.
  • If a worker, in the course of providing a service indoors, is required to come within two metres of another person who is not wearing a face covering, and there is no separation by a physical barrier between the worker and the other person, ensure the worker wears appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). At a minimum, this would include a medical mask and eye protection. A face shield is not a replacement for a medical mask. 
  • Minimize instances of more than one individual inside a vehicle for driving associated with work. When this is unavoidable, ensure face coverings are used by each individual, ensure as much distancing as physically possible, and increase ventilation to the outdoors (for example, through a partially open window) in vehicles, when possible. 

Thank you for your continued work to keep our campus safe.