UVic moves some exams online as parties lead to COVID-19 case spike

The University of Victoria on Vancouver Island has moved some exams online for certain groups of students after seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases following two recent off-campus social gatherings.

Varsity athletes and business students will have their exams moved online, the university said in a news release Thursday. That’s because many of those students attended the gatherings that have been flagged by Island Health for COVID-19 transmission, and several of the students have been asked to self-isolate.

Students in other faculties will have their exams in-person as usual, although students who are asked to self-isolate or who are too ill to write the exam can ask to defer their exams.

“These recent events serve as a reminder to us all that indoor social settings, where there are few or no COVID-19 controls in place, can lead to transmission of COVID-19 even among vaccinated people,” the university said.

Police and university officials have complained throughout the semester about student parties, saying they are unsafe during the pandemic.

UVic noted that students who have not been contacted by Island Health about COVID-19 exposure should consider themselves safe and not at risk.