U of C and city council implement proof of vaccine protocols

By Luis Armando Sanchez Diaz, September 27 2021—

The City of Calgary and the University of Calgary announced proof of vaccine protocols that aim to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and comply with the measures announced by the Government of Alberta.

In an email sent out to students, the Office of the President laid out the procedure that students, faculty and community members must follow to provide proof of their vaccination status through the Thrive App.

The system will accept several forms of vaccine proof including the Alberta COVID-19 Vaccine Record developed by the provincial government which the university considers to be “the preferred record for people to upload.”

Also, documents from pharmacies and vaccination sites of both doses as well as Alberta’s MyHealth Records will be accepted. People who have been vaccinated outside of the province or in other jurisdictions can upload similar files as the aforementioned of a Health Canada approved vaccine.

“All UCalgary students, faculty and staff will have to be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation under protected grounds to be on campus as of January 1. In 2022, rapid testing will no longer be an acceptable method of COVIDSafe Campus compliance,” read the email.

Students should be aware that providing false documents is “considered serious misconduct under the University’s Code of Conduct and the Student Non-Academic Misconduct Policy” and consequences will be applied accordingly.

It is estimated that more than 91 per cent of U of C members are vaccinated according to the results of a survey made by the university.

As a way to stop the spread of COVID-19 among Calgarians, the city of Calgary’s council approved in a 13-1 vote the implementation of a Vaccine Passport Bylaw. Jeromy Farkas, city councillor for Ward 11 and mayoral candidate in the 2021 municipal election, was the only member of the body to vote against the measure.

The new bylaw applies to everyone 12 or older and came into effect on Sept. 23.

“[It] requires many businesses and organizations to require proof of vaccination, recent negative COVID-19 test, or valid medical exemption letter to gain entry,” notes the bylaw webpage.

Individuals who fail to provide proof of vaccination will be subject to a $500 fine. Establishments that do not display proper signage or allow people to enter without their vaccine status verified beforehand can receive a fine of $200 and $500, respectively.

Access the University of Calgary’s vaccine proof portal online. To read about the new bylaw visit the City of Calgary’s webpage.