Sudbury post-sec schools say masking to stay for now

The president of Laurentian University has said the local university will continue its masking and vaccination requirements until at least April 30.

Robert Haché said this is actually the case at all universities and colleges in Ontario.

“Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, recently announced that COVID-19 vaccination policies in post-secondary institutions would no longer be required and that the mask mandate will be lifted in the province on March 21,” said Laurentian president Robert Haché, in a statement released Friday afternoon.

“However, he also recognized that this decision should be made by the institutions themselves. In response, all colleges and universities in Ontario, recently announced that both their vaccination requirements and masking policies would remain in effect until at least April 30, 2022.”

The Council of Ontario Universities also put out a brief statement on the subject March 11.

“In order to minimize uncertainty and disruption and to continue to support our students, staff, faculty and university communities, Ontario’s universities will maintain their COVID-19 vaccination and masking policies until at least the end of the current term,” the statement said.

Haché said Laurentian is considering guidance from a number of stakeholders, including Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD), and will advise the community soon on COVID requirements for the spring/summer academic terms. 

Cambrian College president Bill Best also put out a statement on the matter, saying the college would uphold all of its COVID-19 health measures until the end of this semester.

“Cambrian College, in alignment with Colleges Ontario, previously communicated our commitment to upholding vaccination policies and other health measures until the end of Winter Term,” Best said in the March 10 statement.

“We have taken time to evaluate the recent announcement and consulted with colleges across Ontario, our local post-secondary partners, and other stakeholders. 

“In order to continue to provide certainty and stability for students, faculty and staff we will maintain all of our COVID-19 health measures, including masking, until the end of the semester.” 

Greater Sudbury’s French-language college, Collège Boréal, has sent out a memo to its staff, indicating that mandatory masking will actually continue at the college until the end of the summer, although its COVID vaccination policy will no longer be in effect as of May 1.