Physical distancing won’t be required on campus this fall
By Sophia Lopez, July 30 2021—
The University of Calgary has recently announced that physical distancing will no longer be required on campus.
While physical distancing in public spaces is still encouraged, the university is in the process of removing signs advising to distance on campus alongside the province’s decision to ease public health restrictions.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, Students’ Union (SU) President Nicole Schmidt discussed how her biggest priority is the safety of students and she hopes the university takes further measures in order to make sure students feel comfortable returning to campus.
“At the SU, we take the stance that we all want students to feel safe when they return to campus and we want them to not be put in a position by the university where they feel unsafe or where they feel at risk at all when they’re attending their classes or attending on campus events,” Schmidt said. “In regards to the physical distancing, this wasn’t really a surprise to us, but we’re hoping that the university is taking other steps to keep students safe as we return to campus in the fall.”
Although U of C has not made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for returning to campus, both Schmidt and the university encourage students to get vaccinated in order to achieve a safer environment for everyone.
“At the Students’ Union we know that vaccinations are the best way to keep students safe and healthy, both individually and for the people around them,” she said. “So we definitely encourage students to get vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall.”
Schmidt concluded by further emphasizing the importance of taking extra steps to ensure students are safe when returning to campus.
“I think the biggest thing, is we are encouraging the university to take other precautions in different areas in order to keep students safe and healthy once they do return to campus in the fall, because that’s of the utmost importance,” she said.
To find out more about what being on campus will look like this fall, where to get vaccinated on campus and additional information, visit the U of C website.