Friday, March 19, 2021

University provides update on COVID outbreak

On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, Region of Waterloo public health declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at Claudette Millar Hall. Two individuals have tested positive in recent days and public health officials believe transmission occurred in the residence.

Of concern, public health officials believe these two cases may be related to a large cluster of confirmed cases related to multiple social gatherings held indoors between March 4 and 7 at three private residences. One of the initial cases in the cluster has screened positive for a variant of concern.

Public health officials are investigating and are informing all high-risk contacts. If you do not hear from public health officials, you should continue to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek testing if needed.

Students in residences can get support 

Residents who are experiencing symptoms, are concerned about exposure, have been identified as a high-risk contact, or have received advice to self-isolate can email reslifeteam@uwaterloo.ca for support. 

University of Waterloo has robust protocols to manage COVID-19 cases on campus and in residence. Our Campus Housing team developed the procedures in consultation with public health and the Safety Office to protect the safety of our community. We maintain cleaning and disinfection that exceeds public health requirements. 

Avoid gatherings and stay safe 

We are reminding our community that every student and employee has an important part to play in limiting the risk of COVID-19. It is up to everyone to follow public health guidance and to respect each other as we share the space on our campus.  

Public Health advises everyone in Waterloo region to: 

• Avoid all social gatherings with anyone not in your immediate household 

• Limit non-essential trips outside your home (e.g. work, school, getting food) 

• Practice physical distancing  

• Wear a face covering 

• Wash your hands often  

• Avoid enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces and crowded places 

• Stay home when you are sick and seek testing 

COVID-19 testing is available for University students, employees, postdocs and family members living in the same household. To book a test, please use the online registration form. 

We take the privacy of individuals extremely seriously. In reporting on positive cases, the University will protect the private health information of individuals. You should check our disclosure protocol for what to do if someone reveals to you that they have tested positive for COVID-19.  

Optometry establishes Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency

This article was originally published on the School of Optometry & Vision Science website.

The University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science is honoured to name our contact lens residency in memory of Dr. Luigina (Gina) Sorbara - a respected professor, enthusiastic mentor, and special friend.

For more than 40 years, Dr. Gina Sorbara’s passion for optometry lead to her extraordinary contributions to contact lens research and education, and the profession. An internationally recognized contact lens educator, Sorbara led the School’s Contact Lens Clinic from 1984 until her retirement in 2020.

Lecturing in Advanced Contact Lens Fitting, Sorbara was heavily involved in research at the Centre for Contact Lens Research (now the Centre for Ocular Research & Education) and has conducted research in topics ranging from specialty lens designs for keratoconus, corneal topography, orthokeratlogy and fluorophotometry. For over four decades, Dr. Sorbara was an active member of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE), in addition to a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the British Contact Lens Association.

“It is my distinct honour to announce this residency in Gina’s memory,” said Dr. Stanley Woo, Director, School of Optometry & Vision Science.

“Honouring Gina by establishing the Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency appropriately represents her passion for teaching, research and advancing specialty patient care. Gina had an incredible impact on the School and the profession she loved so dearly; we are grateful to have this opportunity to celebrate her legacy.”

Optometric residencies are one-year, post-graduate, experiential training programs in areas of particular focus that advance patient care skills beyond entry-level practice. The School will welcome the first Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency position in July 2021.

To support this residency in perpetuity, the School is establishing an endowment fund to help students who hold this esteemed position.

“In keeping with Gina’s nature, the desire of the fund is to provide financial support with a spirit of care and prosperity for the recipient,” said Gina’s husband, Ben Giddens O.D.

To make a gift toward the Dr. Gina Sorbara Contact Lens Residency, please visit the Support Waterloo website or contact Andrea Carthew, associate director, advancement, at acarthew@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567 ext. 46319.

Q and A with the experts: Filing your taxes after a year of COVID

The University of Waterloo has a number of experts available for comment on various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Andrew Bauer of the School of Accounting and Finance examines some of the things to consider when filing your taxes this year.

What are some important considerations when filing your 2020 tax returns? 

• For individual tax filing, the deadline is April 30. 

• For self-employed taxpayers, the deadline is June 15.

• Lower-income taxpayers who made $75,000 or less of taxable income and received a COVID-19 benefit in 2020—such as Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) or Canada Emergency Student Benefit—do not have to pay any tax owing until April 30, 2022.

The lower-income category of taxpayers will also not accrue any interest in that time. This is helpful, as many Canadians may find they have an amount owing this year that they do not ordinarily have. All COVID-19 benefits are taxable, and most had little to no tax withheld in 2020, which will be confirmed by your T4A or T4E from the federal government.

In addition, most COVID-19 benefits introduced in 2020 remain available. For individuals, that includes CRB for those who are ineligible for employment insurance, and Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit for those unable to work while caring for a child or family member.

For businesses, that includes Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy to partially cover rent and property tax and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to partially support wages for employees. Indigenous people will also be treated as if their employment or residence is on a reserve if either has otherwise been changed because of COVID-19 restrictions.

What benefits employees working from home can claim this year? 

One other difference for filing 2020 taxes is the availability of the home-office expense deduction. Employees working more than 50 per cent of their time from home, for at least four consecutive weeks, due to the pandemic in 2020 can claim this expense. The Canada Revenue Agency provides a handy guide for taxpayers explaining the two different methods to calculate the deduction.

The simple method requires little effort and no help from your employer. You need only to determine the number of work from home days to a maximum of 200 and multiply by $2/day. That gives a maximum deduction of $400 for the year.

The detailed method requires itemizing your home office expenses and multiplying by the proportions of i) your home used for work and ii) your working hours from home. You also need your employer to provide a T2200S; thankfully, many employers have communicated that this declaration form is available to any employee requesting it. The detailed method has no maximum deduction, but homeowners’ eligible expenses are limited mainly to utilities, hydro, and internet, while renters can also claim rent paid.

What impact will one year of COVID in Canada have on tax revenues?

Tax revenues will surely be lower and deficits higher, meaning the need for government planning to address these issues. A federal budget is expected soon, and the House of Commons Finance Committee produced a pre-budget consultation report on February 16, 2021, with 145 recommendations. While that is certainly more than any one budget could tackle, whatever recommendations are chosen will require a careful balance of spending allocations and taxes.

Here are a few highlights from the recommendations that may interest the average Canadian:

• Increased support or standards are desired for childcare, long-term care, and mental health recovery.

• Reforms to the Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program could help foster new and sustainable innovation by Canadian companies to stimulate the economy. 

• Affordable housing projects could support much-needed homes for low-income individuals and the availability of new jobs to complete those projects.

• An extension of COVID-19 support programs is recommended, as well as on-going consideration of a new universal basic income. 

Andrew Bauer is an Associate Professor in the School of Accounting and Finance and the Canada Research Chair in Taxation, Governance and Risk. His research interests include corporate tax, particularly the influence of agency issues on tax planning, including governance mechanisms, and the role of uncertainty in shaping tax planning, including risk assessment.

March Virtual Open House takes place tomorrow

A message from Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment.

The March Virtual Open House (MVOH) will be held on Saturday March 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The MVOH will allow prospective students from around the world to learn more about Waterloo’s varied programs and services, and to connect with hundreds of professors, staff and students who will be on hand during the event.

Attendees will have the chance to sit in on information sessions, ask questions through live chat and video Q&A, watch videos, and download brochures.

If you know a university-bound student, invite them to register here.

Friday's notes

Monday's meeting of the University's Senate will, of course, be held via Microsoft Teams videoconference beginning at 3:30 p.m. "Guests are welcome to join the open session of the meeting similar to a normal "in-person" Senate meeting," says a note from the Secretariat. "If you would like to attend the meeting as a guest observer, please contact Emily Schroeder to request to join the meeting. All requests must be received by noon on Monday, March 22, 2021. The agenda is posted on the Senate webpage."

Here's the latest Nutrition Month "Myth vs. Fact" supplied by Health Services Dietitian Sandra Ace:

Myth:  A glass of warm milk before bed will help you fall asleep.

Fact:  While drinking warm milk may help you to relax, there is no evidence milk makes you sleepy.

Today is World Sleep Day, an event held to raise awareness of the importance of healthy sleep. Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep is known to have a significant negative impact on health in the long and short term and increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, depression and death from all causes. It leads to fatigue and lack of concentration and contributes to accidental injuries like car accidents. Inadequate sleep disrupts hormone levels that regulate appetite and food intake and may lead to increased hunger and more snacking, resulting in unintended weight changes. Health Canada reports that one of every two adults has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, with the problem affecting slightly more women than men.

So, is there actually any science behind the longstanding advice to drink warm milk before bed to induce sleep? Milk does contain tryptophan, an amino acid needed to make serotonin and melatonin, chemical messengers in the brain that, among other things, help regulate mood and sleep patterns. However, the small amount of tryptophan in a normal serving of milk is not enough to cause any real drowsiness. It’s more likely the psychological effect of the routine itself, or due to the calming effect of a warm beverage that helps to lull us to sleep.

If you find that having food near bedtime is part of relaxing ritual that helps you helps you get into the right frame of mind to fall asleep, choose light carbohydrate snacks and a little protein, such as a slice of whole grain toast or  banana with peanut butter, or a small bowl of yogurt with fruit or whole grain cereal with milk or soy beverage. Stay away from alcohol and caffeinated drinks as well as greasy or spicy foods. If you get heartburn, avoid eating within 3 hours of going to bed.

If you consistently have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep or are considering taking an over-the-counter sleep aid, contact your healthcare provider for advice. Campus Wellness shares many helpful tips on getting a good night’s sleep.