Nursing students at Langara College have become the latest to petition for a delayed return to in-person learning amid rising cases of COVID-19 and the spread of the Omicron variant.

In the petition, they say they feel “extremely vulnerable and uncomfortable attending school in person on Monday, January 10th, 2022.”

The petition goes on to say, “In regards to the COVID-19 Safety Plan at Langara, these measures are outdated and do not take into account how contagious and easily transmittable the Omicron variant is. As of January 5th, there are 27,106 active cases of COVID-19 in the province of BC. We are increasingly concerned that Langara cannot guarantee our safety with numbers so shockingly high. While teachers are protected by plexiglass and a 6-foot distance, students are crammed into small classrooms with no free seats.”

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They would like to see in-person classes delayed until at least the third week of January.

“As a group, we unequivocally agree that our mental and physical health would suffer more in-person with the risks of COVID-19 compared to learning at home, virtually. We have a responsibility to protect ourselves, friends, roommates, and family members from the increasing danger of returning to campus on Monday.”

As of Monday morning, the petition has more than 800 signatures.

In the last few days, students at BCIT and Douglas College have launched similar petitions.