August 5, 2021
Key Messages
- All students participating in activities that involve a higher risk of COVID transmission (moving into and living in residence, engaging in varsity and competitive club sports, and participating in music performance instruction) must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19
- All members of the Carleton community including all faculty, staff and students will be required to self-declare their vaccination status
- These measures follow recent recommendations from Ottawa Public Health
- A full course of Health Canada or World Health Organization approved vaccines will meet vaccination requirements
To All Members of the Carleton Community,
In alignment with public health units across Ontario, Ottawa Public Health has recently made two important recommendations for Carleton in anticipation of the fall term. The first is that Carleton require students who participate in activities that carry a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission, notably living in residences, to be fully vaccinated. The second is that everyone in the Carleton community self-declare their COVID-19 vaccination status.
There is a strong uptake in COVID-19 vaccinations across Ontario and Canada, and our data indicates that the vast majority of Carleton students, faculty and staff will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall 2021 term. It is our shared responsibility to be vaccinated and we encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Vaccination clinics will be held on campus in mid-August, early September and in October to assist individuals in getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Effective for the fall 2021 term, students moving into and living in residence, engaging in varsity and competitive club sports, and participating in music performance instruction are required to have received a full course of a Health Canada or World Health Organization approved COVID-19 vaccine. This list of activities that require full vaccination may change or be updated as public health recommendations evolve. Any individual who cannot be vaccinated on medical grounds or other grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code can request an exemption.
Students participating in these high-risk activities as listed above must receive their first dose vaccine by September 10, 2021, and their second dose no later than October 15, 2021. We are truly pleased that vaccination rates across these activities are already extremely high, and we will work with those who have not had the chance to be vaccinated yet to provide immunization as quickly as possible. Additional information will be provided on how to provide proof of vaccination.
In addition, on the recommendation of Ottawa Public Health, all members of the Carleton community – including all faculty, staff, and students – will be required to self-declare their vaccination status. Those who indicate “yes” must have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days. Community members who respond “no” or “prefer not to say” will be provided with information about vaccination, booking appointments and other applicable public health measures they will have to follow. All personal information provided, including information regarding vaccination status, will be handled in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. More information on this process will be communicated at a later date.
The vaccine requirement for high-risk activities and self-declaration complements the extensive health and safety measures already in place and our existing return to campus plans. All units in phase 3 are prepared to return to campus to ensure we can provide face-to-face support for our students on campus starting August 23. All existing health and safety protocols will remain in place including mask requirements, physical distancing, mandatory screening and cleaning protocols. An Ambassador program is also being deployed across our facilities to help provide guidance on screening measures and to provide encouragement to the community to follow all public health regulations and restrictions. Courses that have been scheduled to be delivered in person and/or online will continue as planned.
We will continue to work closely with Ottawa Public Health and will continue to adapt as their recommendations evolve. For more information regarding Carleton’s response to COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 website.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Blanchard
COVID-19 Lead
On Behalf of the COVID-19 Steering Committee
Thursday, August 5, 2021 in Coronavirus
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