On January 24 UFV returns to in-person and online learning as scheduled in the Winter 2022 timetable.
This decision was made in collaboration with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training and with the Provincial Health Officer and reflects concern for health, well-being, learning, and business continuity.
Layers of protection:
The layers of protection UFV has employed have kept transmission rates low. From September 7, 2021, to December 11, 2021, according to Fraser Health, just 1.7% of total reported cases among Fraser Health residents have been associated with staff and students attending post-secondaries. Of those cases, minimal to no transmission occurred on campuses.
However, given the transmissibility of the Omicron variant within the community, we also recognize that many within our UFV community will be impacted by COVID-19. The following reminders are important to ensure we maximize the protection of one another while on campus.
Before you come to campus:
- You must complete the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool and stay home if ill.
If you are sick:
- Do not come to campus. Please refer to the BC Centre for Disease Control’s guidelines if you have tested positive for COVID-19 and/or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
Students:
- Do not come to campus if you have symptoms of illness. If you had a scheduled appointment with Advising, Counselling, or other unit, please ask to convert the appointment to virtual or phone. Alert your professor that you will be absent from class; they will accommodate your absence, providing opportunities to make up the work and instruction you have missed. Follow all directions provided by the BCCDC regarding isolation.
Masks and vaccines:
- Ensure you are properly wearing your multi-layer cloth mask or a medical mask in all indoor settings including classrooms. Read more on the UFV guidelines for masks.
- Practice good hand hygiene using soap and water and hand sanitizer.
- Ensure you are fully vaccinated and acting upon booster invitations when provided – this continues to be the best form of protecting ourselves from serious illness and limiting the severity of illness caused by variants.
Faculty:
- If you are informed that a student is isolating and following COVID-19 protocols, please remind them to follow all protocols outlined by the BC Centre for Disease Control and accommodate their absence, providing opportunities to make up the work and instruction they have missed.
- Please return to using PASS for students who are struggling and in need of additional support. In the case of COVID, this could be a student experiencing significant illness that necessitates additional academic accommodation, but would not be a student who simply reports symptoms or a positive test.
Faculty and staff:
- If you have a confirmed case of COVID, or if you have symptoms but not a test result, you should not come to campus, but should work remotely and follow the BC CDC recommended isolation period.
- If you are not able to work, you should submit the form to use sick leave days.
- If a close contact has a confirmed case of COVID you should monitor for symptoms, but should attend work if you do not have symptoms. You are encouraged to wash your hands regularly, wear a mask, and wipe down the surfaces of your workspace regularly.
- If your child that normally requires childcare is impacted by the functional closure of their school you should seek permission from your supervisor to work remotely on a temporary basis while the functional closure is in effect.