President's Forum (COVID) - February 2

Ontario’s decision to open more of the province starting today is supported by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Changes to Ontario’s regulations mean across many sectors, people are returning to work and activities gradually through February to mid-March. The evidence from Ontario’s Science table shows now that we are past the peak of Omicron transmission based on daily case counts, test positivity, the reproduction number and wastewater data. 

But perhaps I can summarize again that Education is prioritized as an essential service by the Ontario government.    And as I showed in the charts, the populations on our campus are at a very low risk of serious impacts if they were to be infected.   And our student populations have the most to benefit from a return to in campus experiences. 

We have additional reasons for confidence in our own plan—underpinned by the fact that more than 99 per cent of people who come to the University to live, work and learn are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And, while the virus circulates our community, people who are vaccinated and follow public health advice are now protected from its more serious consequences. The data shows that vaccinated individuals and those under 60 years now face very low risks of severe illness. 

We recognize that this time brings a new set of challenges. The worries we hear from students, faculty and staff are understandable. We have endeavoured from the very beginning of the pandemic to make clear our goal is to return to more in-person experiences as soon as the public health conditions allow. We believe that time is finally here.  

Our government has prioritized the education sector for return to in-person experiences. It’s important that essential services in our society – like education – get back to important in-person experiences as our populations are at the lowest risk of severe impacts of COVID-19, yet our students face the highest risk of the negative consequences of pandemic lockdowns including inequity issues, mental health and the fact that they do not have access to the in-person experiences that enrich their learning. 

It makes sense to gradually return other lower-priority elements of society to full capacity while we allow education institutions to resume their essential work. At Waterloo, we will phase in non-student facing activities more gradually to help manage the density of people on our campus so we can stay focused on what matters the most and play our part in the gradual return to in-person activities. 

On Monday, January 3, 2022, Region of Waterloo informed us of changes to their case and contact management practices to align with the Government of Ontario’s  Testing Eligibility and Case & Contact Management requirements  announced  December 30th, 2021.  Public health staff have informed us that they are prioritizing case and contact management for only the highest-risk settings. Post-secondary institutions including student residences are not currently on the list of highest-risk settings.  
 
Students who are ill are directed to notify their close contacts and should use the student declaration of illness form in Quest. According to public health guidance, classmates and instructors do not need to self-isolate. 

When an employee is presumed to have COVID-19 and was on campus during their contagious period, Occupational Health will continue to conduct contact tracing to the extent possible and will work with employees to identify any potential close contacts. Close contacts will be notified and provided with anonymous details of the contact and direction on self-isolation where required. If a close contact occurs in a classroom setting, Occupational Health will work closely with Health Services. 

I would also point out that the protocols that were in place in the early days of the pandemic may not be necessary or recommended by public health officials. The environment has changed – given the high vaccination and immunization present in the Canadian population. 

We have based our current requirement for face-coverings on the latest guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and Public Health Ontario for general, non-healthcare settings.The University has appropriate options for face coverings available centrally at no cost to units for employees.  
  
In most circumstances at the University, wearing masks that fit well, have multiple layers, including at least 2 layers of breathable tightly woven fabric, such as cotton and an effective middle filter layer are very effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. The University will be providing all employees that work on campus with quality cloth masks with disposable filters and medical masks that meet these criteria.   

We recognize that many of you have concerns about the availability of N95 or KN95 masks. We face ongoing supply chain issues which are limiting the availability of these masks for community use. We are pursuing options to obtain N95 or KN95 masks and we will provide them on a limited basis for those that request them when available. 

We have endeavoured from the very beginning of the pandemic to make clear our goal is to return to more in-person experiences as soon as the public health conditions allow. We know there is no substitute for what happens in a lab or a classroom where hands-on learning is enriched through peers and professors. 

We believe that time is finally here.  

We made the decision to start classes this term online in order to promote safety as the province learned more about the Omicron variant.  We have been clear that the most recent period of primarily online learning is temporary and that students need to prepare to be back on our campuses in early February. We are confident that the vast majority of our students are keen and ready to return – for those that still have concerns, they can reach out to their academic advisor to discuss their options for the term. 

A shift to online learning is part of our continuity of education plan in the event of emergency but is not meant to replace in person learning.  

In light of the evolving understanding of transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus and the emergence of the Omicron variant we will continue to assess and evaluate the air quality of our indoor spaces and are committed to reporting the results to the community. You can keep up to date on our ventilation strategy on a new page on our COVID-19 information website. 

We continue to monitor air quality and ventilation. Recently, we ordered more than 300 HEPA filter units for deployment in our spaces. We will distribute these units in spaces across the campus as they arrive. 

While our assessment is that all our classrooms are ready for use, out of an abundance of caution, we will rebook some classroom spaces that have fewer than four air exchanges per hour to take advantage of spare capacity in our better ventilated rooms. 

HEPA 

Several units will be arriving early next week, those will be installed in high priority classrooms that have ACHe of just below 4.0. 

The Student Success Office is preparing wayfinding and support resources for students for February 7 and the week of February 28. On February 7 volunteers will be in a variety of high traffic outdoor areas around Ring Road from 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. 

There will be three indoor “Here to Help - Ask Me Booths” from Tuesday, March 1 – Thursday, March 3, operating from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Volunteers at these booths will support navigation, and share information about key resources available to students at Waterloo.  

The @UWaterlooLife Instagram account will be sharing information for students about the wayfinding and booth activities during the events. Students can DM the account with their questions as well. If you are interested in volunteering, please email success@uwaterloo.ca by 12:00pm this Friday, February 4. 

We have provided (and will continue to provide) opportunity to debate, question, comment and learn more about our plans throughout the pandemic including forum events, written updates, podcasts and the recent employee survey. We will continue to pursue these channels of communication and we encourage you all to provide feedback to your supervisor. 
 
Moreover, the pandemic has frequently required us to make decisions under a rapidly changing set of circumstances that have required senior leaders to move very quickly. Timelines and procedures for normal long-term planning – where we can consult very broadly in open forum discussion and where planning decisions can be widely known before coming effective – are not well suited to decision-making in this environment. 

We acknowledge that we can always do more to engage with you to ensure that communication and decision-making is clear and meets the needs of our community.  We are grateful for your patience and understanding as we seek to get back to safe and vibrant in-person experiences for everyone at Waterloo, and we look forward to continuing this dialogue in the days and weeks ahead. 

We’ve published a full list of activities that will remain online until at least February 28 on the COVID-19 information website, as well as through Faculty sources. Ach Faculty made this determination based on a number of factors.  If students have questions about their courses they can check the website or talk to their Academic Advisors. 

Though the evidence from Ontario’s Science table shows now that we are past the peak of Omicron transmission based on daily case counts, test positivity, the reproduction number and wastewater data, we know that the health care system has borne the brunt of absenteeism and increased demand over the last several weeks. 

Though the pressure on the system is likely to reduce in the coming weeks, we felt it was important as a partner in our community to explore opportunities for our employees and students to volunteer to support if they could. Offering opportunities for short-term redeployment is our way of removing barriers for our people to want to volunteer. We are extremely grateful for the positive response to the call for support and are pleased to support those people from the University who are willing to lend a hand. 

Since the pandemic started, our institution has been supporting a host of needs for the wider community, such as providing supplies and PPE from our labs to places where they were most needed in the region, using our labs to produce face shields, developing new tools and methods through research such as wastewater testing, and supporting a COVID testing and assessment centre and a vaccination clinic for many months. This short-term redeployment opportunity is another way we are supporting the wider community we are a part of. 

Ontario is experiencing a short-term, temporary disruption to its regular supply schedule of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) due to global supply chain constraints. The province is working to ensure that in the short term, rapid antigen tests are available and prioritized for our most vulnerable sectors.  

The Chief Medical Officer of Health has advised that rapid testing should be used where risk of transmission is highest.  Furthermore, rapid tests are most useful when used serially – requiring very high numbers of tests to be deployed for any program to be effective in detecting COVID-19. 

On campus, we therefore prioritized deployment of the available tests to those in the highest risk settings where other measures to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 cannot be followed. Currently, we use a chart to guide deployment of limited rapid tests using a cascading risk-based criteria to maintain the operations of a given unit. When the supply improves, we will make them more available in the community. 

When students are ill, they are encouraged not to attend class and to self-declare their illness in Quest. Students can find the Illness Self-declaration form in the Personal Information section of Quest. A doctor’s note for accommodation is not required. 
 
For most instructors in most courses, their plans for accommodation due to students self-isolating will be similar to the accommodation that would be provided to students who have to miss some classes due to illness, family emergency, or other legitimate reasons. Waterloo instructors and student support staff routinely show compassion and caring for their students and provide means for such students to succeed in their courses when these events beyond their control happen to them. We encourage everyone to be compassionate during this period of transition. 

Employees who can perform their roles remotely during self-isolation should make work from home arrangements with their supervisor for the period of isolation. Please speak with your manager regarding the support available should you need to isolate. 

We are continuing to work on plans for the future of our workforce with the team in Human Resources who are working on several projects across the University. Bear in mind that making changes while navigating the twists and turns of the pandemic may not be the best environment to make decisions for the long-term of the University’s operations. Our focus has remained on getting through the challenges posed by the pandemic and identifying lessons so that we can integrate these lessons into our detailed future planning at the right time.  

Looking at the sustainability impact of our workforce plan is one of the strands of work that teams will look at. In the meantime, there are many options for sustainable transportation.  Public transit, hybrid and electric vehicles, cycling and more. We encourage all members of the Waterloo community to consider sustainable transportation in all aspects of their lives, regardless of the days they will work on campus.  

To reduce the density of people on our campuses we will have a gradual return for those who do not interact with students directly. Individual units are working through their plans to see us return start to return our “normal” work arrangements starting from between February 7 and March 14. We know that this will look different for each unit depending on the needs of your teams. Individuals can expect to hear from their unit head on specific plans for their return to in-person working.   

And we do support a flexible and responsive approach over this transitional return period, taking into account the work of the unit and the circumstances of individuals.   Our overall goal remains though to bring people back to our campuses. 

Leaders from the University are in regular and personal contact with public health leaders to hear their perspectives and advice. We have met with Kieran Moore and Hsui-Li Wang formally and informally at various points in the pandemic and we have talked to Dr Wang about all major changes to our operations before we make our decisions. We are strongly guided by information and direction shared with us by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and by the regulations established by the Government of Ontario. 

At the national level, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Theresa Tam notes that the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has peaked based on daily case counts, test positivity, the reproduction number and wastewater data.  

Ontario’s decision to open more of the province starting today is supported by the Chief Medical Officer of Health as well as Waterloo Region’s Medical Officer of Health. Changes to Ontario’s regulations mean across many sectors, people are returning to work and activities gradually through February to mid-March. The evidence from Ontario’s Science table shows now that we are past the peak of Omicron transmission based on daily case counts, test positivity, the reproduction number and wastewater data. Hospital and ICU admissions for COVID-19 are plateauing and starting to trend down.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Waterloo Region’s Medical Officer of Health: “The goal is to balance the risks. We do have to do what we can to blunt the most severe impacts of Omicron but we also have to try to mitigate harms that may come from continuing to keep in place restrictions that may no longer be necessary.”  

It can be difficult to cope during these times of uncertainty and rapid change. One step to decrease anxiety is to focus on the things you can control. Following public health advice, such as limiting close, unprotected contact with others, wearing an appropriate mask, and getting vaccinated, including a third dose, can decrease your chance of COVID-19 infection and its long-lasting effects, when compared to someone who doesn’t. 

We know that the vast majority of international students have been able to make their way to Waterloo in readiness for this term, but for the small number who still face difficulties, there are a limited number of options available to them. It is very important that international students discuss their options with an Immigration Consultant before taking action.  

We recognize the importance of community for our international students. Peer support continues to be offered through the International Peer Community (IPC) that hosts weekly connections online for international students. IPC helps students to build a support network, develop a sense of community and intercultural competencies, enhance interactional skills, and learn about Canada and other cultures. 

The information from the employee survey is really helpful as our teams across the University work with HR to look at the needs of their unit and how we can plan for change in the future. We have many projects underway already to work with specific units to plan for a range of scenarios, build on improvements that have been made already, and look at new work demands to help guide the future for those units. 

We know that some employees have enjoyed the extra flexibility and productivity that expanded work from home arrangements have allowed in the last two years. The current work from home policy remains an item that we are looking at very closely.  We will have an update as soon as possible on our work from home approach, including the scope, conditions and approvals that would be part of an updated policy.    

Accessibility needs must be addressed differently for in person learning than for remote learning. Captions, for instance, are not an option for class discussions. Fortunately, there are professional staff members at Waterloo with expertise in academic accommodation planning for in person accommodations and supports, such as assistive technology, that can provide the same level of access for in-person learning. Students in need of academic accommodations as a result of their disability, medical condition, trauma, or other disabling condition, should register with the AccessAbility Services by completing the online application. AccessAbility Services works with students and instructors to ensure appropriate academic accommodations are in place. Students who immunocompromised are especially encouraged to register.  
 
The University currently has projects underway that will increase the number of online and blended courses offered at Waterloo. We think there are many advantages to continuing to make use of the new teaching materials and strategies our instructors have developed due to the need to teach remotely in recent terms. One of those advantages is that some with accessibility needs found that some of the remote learning materials helped them learn better.