Universities, colleges should follow Ontario medical officer on COVID requirements: gov’t

Universities and colleges should follow the advice of the province’s chief medical officer of health when it comes to COVID-19-related requirements at their institutions and not make up their own, a government spokesperson says.

“Throughout the pandemic, our government has always followed the advice of the chief medical officer of health. We encourage all other institutions, including post-secondary schools, to do the same,” Scott Clark, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, said in a statement.

Some post-secondary institutions in the province have opted to implement COVID-related mandates ahead of the fall semester.

Western University, for instance, has put in place a booster mandate for attendees. A mask mandate will also remain.

At the University of Toronto, students living in residences are required to be fully vaccinated and have received at least one booster shot.

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Ontario has long lifted its COVID-19 requirements at the advice of chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore, including provincial mask mandates and the requirement that vaccine policies be in place for various institutions.

“Although post-secondary institutions are independent, our expectation is that they explore all available options to ensure all students can attend class in person where possible,” Clark said.

1:36 COVID-19: 2nd booster dose ‘not absolutely necessary’ for young, healthy adults, Moore says