Thursday, September 23, 2021

Athletics requires proof of vaccination for indoor access to facilities

Inside the recently-opened SLC/PAC expansion.

Effective September 22, the Department of Athletics and Recreation requires proof of vaccine along with an ID that includes date of birth as a prerequisite for access to any indoor recreational facility.

"As per Ontario Regulation 645/21, beginning September 22, 2021, all individuals who are entering indoor recreation facilities including the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) and Columbia Icefield (CIF) at the University of Waterloo will be required to provide proof of vaccination along with ID," says an article on the Athletics and Recreation website. "Even if you have uploaded your proof of vaccination, you are still required to show it as you enter."

"For clarity this includes participants of all indoor programming including program participants, rental contract users and members of varsity teams as well as spectators in the buildings."

Please note that this regulation pertains only to indoor Athletics facilities and is not currently applicable to the broader University campus.

Partially vaccinated individuals will NOT be able to access our indoor facilities and participate in any indoor programming as of the 22nd. Student-athletes not fully vaccinated will still be required to complete regular testing.  

The Athletics article goes on to outline several exceptions to the new regulations, that include:

• Children under 12 years old;
• Individuals accessing the indoor facilities while placing, paying or picking up an order, to purchase admission; or as may be necessary for the purposes of health and safety;
• Individuals with a medical exemption.  A note from a doctor or registered nurse will be required should a medical exemption be requested. The note must include: a documented medical reason for not being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and the effective time-period for the medical reason; and
• Individuals who have submitted for an accommodation based upon religion or creed. "We are awaiting on the University to determine what proof will be required," says Athletics.

"Between September 22 – October 21, individuals may show either a paper copy or an electronic PDF of their proof of vaccination accompanied with an acceptable form of ID," the article continues. "If you have a medical exemption (signed by an MD, RN(EC) or NP on a Doctor's letterhead), this must be shown each time in place of vaccine proof." Please note that currently an Apple Wallet Digital Certificate will not be accepted.

Beginning October 22, individuals may choose to use the QR as issued by the provincial government.

According to Athletics, to be considered fully vaccinated a visitor must have:

• The full series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or any combination of such vaccines, or 
• One or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada, or 
• Three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada; and 
• They received their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before providing the proof of being fully vaccinated. 

Acceptable forms of ID must include the name of the identification holder, and date of birth. These include:  

• Birth certificate; 
• Citizenship card; 
• Driver's licence;
• Government (Ontario or other) issued identification card, including health card; 
• Indian Status Card /Indigenous Membership Card;
• Passport; 
• Permanent Resident card; and
• Please note a digital photo of a Government issued ID is acceptable. 

"Validation of identification is considered to have been completed/successful when the name and date of birth of the presenter of the vaccination receipt and the name and date of birth on the identification document match, says the Athletics article. "Individuals are expected to have these documents out and ready to present when entering the recreation facility. The individual seeking entry to the facility is solely responsible for demonstrating that they are the legitimate holder of the vaccination receipt, and that the information being provided is complete and accurate and relates to the patron. If they cannot demonstrate that to the business or organization, the individual will not be allowed to enter." 

Read the full article on the Athletics website.

Join the United Way Campaign kick-off livestream with opening video from Vivek Goel

A message from the United Way Campaign.

Mark your calendars: On September 28, we’ll be kicking-off our annual United Way Campaign virtually, open for all to attend! Join our live-stream at lunch for the opportunity to:

• See a video of our President, Vivek Goel, talking about why the United Way is important to him, and the connection between public health and your donations;
• Be inspired by the CEO of United Way WRC, Joan Fisk, as she shares how donations are helping our community to thrive;
• Get excited about all the amazing events and activities you can participate in and support this year; and
• Learn about the important role you play in changing our community for the better.

Whether you're a long-time donor, volunteer, or just are looking for ways to make a positive impact in your community while having some fun, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Visit our event webpage to register and receive the livestream link.

How to get IT support this term

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

Whether you're on campus or working or learning from home, we're here to help. Visit an on-campus IST service desk or connect with us via phone, email, or live chat.

We can help with:

• PC hardware and software troubleshooting
• Software installation
• Malware removal
• WatIAM troubleshooting
• Network troubleshooting
• Email configuration and setup, and more!

IST service desk hours

*During remote hours, we can be reached via phone, email or live chat:

Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 44357
Email: helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca
Live chat: Click to start a new live chat session

Other support options

Visit our Help & Support page for more information or find support articles in our IST Knowledge Base.

CORE seeks eye drop study participants

Most patients with dry eye disease use a lubricating eye drop to relieve symptoms of dryness. The relief gained from using drops can be short as the drops spill out of the eyes or drain away quickly from the eye surface. The Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) is currently recruiting participants who suffer from discomfort due to dry eye. This study will investigate the comfort of a new gel lubricant as a treatment for dry eye disease. The study will take place at the University of Waterloo. Participants will receive $625 upon study completion. Total time commitment of 30.25 hours over 7 study visits. For more information regarding this study visit http://corestudies.ca/JELLYFISH.

All studies conducted at CORE have been reviewed and received clearance through a University of Waterloo Ethics Committee. To register to be part of CORE’s participant database and be the first to know about new studies, profiles can be created at https://prescreen.uwaterloo.ca/star_tracker/index.php/volunteers.

Postdoc Appreciation Week showcase continues

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA), part of a series of posts in support of National Postdoc Appreciation Week.

Today for National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we are proud to showcase Anirban Banerjee, Ali Ayub, Lauren Todd, and Edris Madadian. Follow these links to their profiles if you want to learn more about them and the work they do.

Anirban Banerjee is a postdoc with the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. He is currently working alongside Dr. Valerie Ward, researching new methods of producing life-saving drugs. His work involves using algae in place of traditional manufacturing platforms for protein therapeutics, with the ultimate goal of revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry and saving lives. 

Ali Ayub is a postdoc with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. Currently, he is working at the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL), developing autonomous robots that can assist people in their daily lives. His particular focus is on developing AI techniques that can allow robots to learn, so that they can better help the elderly and people with disabilities.

Lauren Todd is a postdoc with the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science. Her research involves studying how frog immune systems respond to infection, trying to understand how pathogens interact with their hosts, with the ultimate goal of helping to preserve amphibian biodiversity.

Edris Madadian is a postdoc with the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. He has worked in the energy and environmental engineering sector for nearly ten years, with a focus on renewable, sustainable systems. His current work involves investigating potential water contamination from pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).

Are you also a postdoc doing important work here at the University of Waterloo? If so, please Share Your Story with us so that we can add you to our collection of People Profiles celebrating the contributions of other amazing postdocs in the UWaterloo community.

Postdoc fun fact of the day: postdocs can be found in a range of disciplines

Although the Faculty of Engineering has the largest number of postdocs (over 40 per cent of all postdocs), University of Waterloo has postdocs in all six faculties; postdocs can be found in units ranging from Kinesiology to History, to Pharmacy and Combinatorics and Optimization.