In an email sent out on Friday, March 13, Camosun College announced it had introduced new measures in response to the provincial direction concerning COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.
Students are not required to give a doctor’s note if they are self-isolating due to the coronavirus. They do need to report their absences to their faculty.
The college has suspended all travel-related work trips outside of Canada; this includes travel to the United States.
If students or staff leave Canada for personal reasons, they are being asked to stay away from the college for 14 days upon returning.
Camosun has now cancelled all gatherings—taking place indoor or outdoor—that would have been larger than 250 people, including events happening on campus put on by organizations other than Camosun. Classes are still in session.
The college will continue to follow the advice of provincial and regional public health authorities such as Island Health, the provincial health officer, and the BC Centre for Disease Control.
As of press time, the college has no presumed or confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Camosun has created a COVID-19 Response Coordination Team, who are currently meeting daily.
The college advises students to wash their hands often, cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, avoid people who are sick, and stay home if they are sick. Anyone with symptoms (cough, fever, difficulty breathing, aching muscles) and may have been exposed to COVID-19 should call their healthcare provider or 811.
This situation is changing daily; see camosun.ca for the most current updates.