Major Canadian Universities Are Still Open & Sharing Their Responses To COVID-19

Schools are still in session. News that COVID-19 has reached pandemic status has businesses and institutions taking precautionary measures and shutting down altogether. Canadian universities are staying on top of the situation with one Ontario school suspending all of its classes.

Update: Many Canadian universities and colleges have since closed or switched to online classes only. Please check with your post-secondary school for any updates.

On Wednesday, March 11, Laurentian University became the first school in Canada to close its doors in response to the pandemic. Other universities in Ontario remain open but have implemented health and safety measures.

Outside of Ontario, schools are staying open but offering health and hygiene advice. 

One of the only major measures being taken by a number of universities is limiting travel among its faculty and students. Some schools have also recalled students studying abroad in high-risk areas.

UBC students started a petition to move all classes online. The school has announced that "preparations are underway" to move some classes online, according to Global News.

Simon Fraser University is taking steps to prevent spreading communicable diseases on campus as classes continue as usual.

However, it is cancelling all student exchange trips to regions where the Government of Canada has advised to avoid non-essential or all travel.

The University of Alberta campus remains open, with the school noting that pandemic planning is underway. The school also noted that it is "moving quickly to activate protocols and contingency plans in response to the spread of COVID-19 across the globe."

Calgary's universities have also been preparing their faculty and students for any possible closures that could come in the future.

The University of Saskatchewan announced that it's reviewing its emergency management plan, but that classes will continue as usual. As of Thursday afternoon, there haven't been any confirmed cases of coronavirus in Saskatchewan. However, one presumptive case has been reported in the region so far.

Similarly, the University of Manitoba has not announced any new measures but reminded people to stay home if they are sick and to follow guidelines from Manitoba Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

McGill University noted on their website that public health officials have not explicitly said that schools should be cancelling classes, but stated that their Academic Planning Group is "examining distance-learning options and alternate modes for teaching and exams."

In Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University notes that the risk of getting coronavirus is still low and that there haven't been any confirmed cases in the province as of Wednesday evening.

The school has cancelled international field courses until September and any student or faculty travel to countries with a level three or four travel advisory from the government.

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