Students encouraged to leave residence, more closures occur as COVID-19 cases rise on campus
By Kristy Koehler, March 21 2020—
More preventative measures have been triggered on the University of Calgary campus as more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed this afternoon.
The Taylor Family Digital Library and vendors in MacHall and Yamnuska Hall are being directed to close, effective Sunday, March 22. Faculty and staff have been directed to work from home and only come to campus should they be performing functions that absolutely require them to be on-site. They have also been directed to pick up items from their office that are necessary to transition to working from home no later than Monday, March 22. Trips to campus to collect these items are to be coordinated with supervisors to increase social distancing and prevent crowds on campus.
Students in residence are being encouraged to go home no later than Sunday, March 29. In an email addressed to all members of the U of C community, university president Ed McCauley acknowledged that “this will not be an option for everybody” and that students who cannot go home, including international students, will continue to be accommodated.
The plan is to “begin transitioning all students who remain in residence to buildings without shared bathroom facilities” and more details surrounding this plan will be released shortly, according to the email. For the time being, The Landing will remain open for those who remain in residence.
These precautions come as additional individuals, associated with the Haskayne School of Business and the Spy Hill campus, have tested positive for COVID-19. These cases are in addition to the individuals associated with the Cumming School of Medicine that were announced to have tested positive yesterday.
“The affected individual from Haskayne was exposed to the university campus from March 11–13. The individual at the Spy Hill campus was last on-site March 10. Both individuals are now in self-isolation and, as per standard practice for all cases of COVID-19,” read the email.
Alberta Health Services has directly contacted individuals who may have been exposed as a result of these cases.
U of C has a COVID-19 website with more information.
Information from Alberta Health Services can also be found online.