Universities and colleges in Ontario returning to near-normal this fall

The Ontario government says colleges and universities can prepare for a nearly normal return to school this fall, and they plan for in-person classes with no capacity limits.

Post-secondary institutions should still enforce mask-wearing in indoor spaces as long as mandatory mask rules are in place, Deputy Minister of Colleges and Universities Shelley Tapp said in a memo to institutions this week.

“It is anticipated that all in-person instruction and on-campus activities at [post-secondary] institutions would be permitted to resume without capacity limits or physical distancing requirements starting in Fall 2021,” she wrote in the July 16 letter.

Colleges and universities are also encouraged to set up on-campus vaccination clinics and provide rapid COVID-19 testing to staff and students.

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Schools must also come up with emergency plans that detail what will happen if there’s a COVID-19 outbreak tied to the campus. Those plans must outline how learning will continue and be publicly available by September 2021.

University and college students have seen wide disruptions to learning during the pandemic as post-secondary institutions moved classes online and closed many campus activities.

Some universities and colleges have made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory to participate in campus activities. Seneca College won’t allow students or staff on campus unless they’ve had two doses, and Western University says students must have both shots to live in residence.