UBC’s mask mandate is staying in place even though the province dropped face-covering rules on March 11, meaning students have to keep wearing them to class.
The university tweeted on March 11 confirming the decision, saying mask mandates stay in place for public indoor spaces on both campuses until April 30.
That includes lobbies, hallways, stairwells, elevators, classrooms, and labs.
UBC will continue requiring masks to be worn in public indoor spaces on both campuses, until the end of the 2021/22 Winter Session on April 30, 2022. Learn more: https://t.co/beJZA9doGD pic.twitter.com/lRQ26zn7Ya
ā University of British Columbia (@UBC) March 11, 2022
“The latest changes indicate that while face coverings will be optional for people in all indoor public settings, individual organizations can choose to continue to require mask-wearing on their premises,ā its website says.Ā
“As such, UBC will continue with the current approach, requiring masks to be worn in public indoor spaces on both campuses, until the end of the 2021/22 Winter Session.”
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In contrast, SFU is merely āencouragingā students, staff, and faculty to keep their masks on.
The school announced āmasks will be a matter of personal choice going forward, unless further public health orders are made,ā adding it āencourages mask useā on campuses.
āItās important to take time to absorb the change and reflect on the personal decisions you will make,ā said Vice-President Academic and Provost at SFU, Dr. Catherine Dauvergne, in the statement.
Capilano University did the same, making mask-wearing optional for everyone.
Effective today, mask-wearing will be optional for all students, employees and visitors present on our main campus, kƔlax-ay/Sunshine Coast campus, CapU Lonsdale, student housing and other CapU learning locations. https://t.co/VdN4wSsUN1 #CapilanoU #BCpse
ā Capilano University (@CapilanoU) March 11, 2022
UBC added students-in-residence are still bound by a separate public health order until April 8, with rules differing between the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
UBS is also urging all members of its community to get their COVID-19 booster shot.
“Letās continue to support one another and create a safe environment for all members of the UBC community,” the statement says.
A full list of UBC’s COVID-19 campus rules is available online.
UBC didnāt get back to Daily Hiveās interview request in time for this article to be published.Ā
More to come…