U of C lifts mask requirements on campus

By Cristina Paolozzi, July 8 2021—

As the COVID-19 restrictions ease in Alberta, Stage 3 in the the provincial government’s Open for Summer plan indicates that all restrictions will be lifted as of July 1. 

Stage 3 outlines that two weeks after 70 per cent of Alberta’s population over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, restrictions such as the ban on indoor social gatherings, as well as the mandatory mask mandate will be lifted. 

On July 5, city council voted to repeal most of Calgary’s mask mandates, voting 10-4. However, masks are still required on public transportation and in health-care facilities. 

As a result of the decisions made both at the provincial and municipal levels, the University of Calgary has also announced in an email on July 6 that masks will no longer be mandatory on campus. 

The email states that masks can still be worn based on individual comfort level. 

“While masks are no longer required at UCalgary, individuals can still opt to wear them based on their own comfort level,” the email reads. “Mask use is an individual choice, and no one should feel discouraged from using them.”

There are still some places where masks will be mandatory, such as travelling in a UCalgary vehicle, as well as in medical clinic environments. 

To help aid vaccine distribution, the university has opened a vaccination clinic at the Foothills Medical Centre in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS). To learn more about this clinic, or to book an appointment, click here.