COVID-19 pandemic prompts Calgary post-secondary institutions to cancel in-person classes
Calgary's three largest post-secondary institutions have cancelled all in-person classes for the remainder of the week after the provincial government declared a pandemic-related state of emergency.
The University of Calgary, Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology each announced the cancellation of all classes that were scheduled to take place on campus in the coming days. Online classes will run as scheduled.
The MRU campus and SAIT's campuses will also be closed to all activity through the weekend.
The cancellations follow the Alberta government's declaration of a COVID-19-related state of emergency Wednesday evening as ll as new public health measures including the reintroduction of two-metre physical distancing guidelines in indoor public spaces.
University of Calgary will resume in-person classes Sept. 20, according to an email from president and vice-chancellor Ed McCauley, but students and staff attending campus bust be fully vaccinated or have a negative test within 72 hours.
The email said in-person classes were cancelled at U of C this week because physical distancing wasn't possible in classrooms and hallways.
"Starting on Monday, (Sept. 20), provincial rules will require that the University of Calgary allow only those who are vaccinated or who have had a negative rapid test within 72 hours to attend campus if we do not want to be subject to two-metre physical distancing and other restrictions," it read.
"Our COVIDSafe Campus program aligns to these requirements, protects our safety, and allows us to maintain operations as previously planned. More than 37,000 members of our campus community already registered in the app to come to campus, and 91.3 per cent of those community members are fully vaccinated.
"To ensure that we can prove full compliance with government regulations in a timely fashion, everyone on campus who has attested to being vaccinated must be prepared to provide proof of vaccination status. This ability to prove vaccination is a requirement to be on campus and in the coming days, you will be asked to upload this proof into the COVIDSafe Campus application.
The province had previously announced printable vaccine cards would be available Sept. 16 but that has been delayed until Sunday, Sept. 19.
With Alberta's newly announced proof of vaccination program set to start on Sept. 20, Health Minister Tyler Shandro assured Albertans they'll still be able to use their existing vaccination records as proof when the new rules take effect.
Shandro added that screenshots or photos of vaccine documents would also be acceptable.
On Thursday morning, more than 100,000 people were trying to log on to the province's MyHealth Records website.
Rapid testing is being accepted as an alternative to vaccination until Jan. 1, 2022, then "it will be a requirement for all members of our community, unless they have an exception based on a protected ground, to be vaccinated to be on campus," read the email.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.