By Edward Djan
Ryerson is reversing course and will no longer be lifting its mask mandate as previously planned on May 1, according to a statement posted to Ryerson Today.
The university said the reversal is due to “the impact of COVID-19 in the city and province.”
The statement cited Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore’s recent advice to continue masking, despite mandates dropping in most indoor settings in the province.
Ontario has been dealing with a sixth wave of COVID-19 for several weeks. The province’s latest numbers show that there are 1,626 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 207 people fighting the virus in intensive care units (ICUs)—the highest number of ICU admissions in over four weeks.
The Eyeopener first reported in March that the university planned on lifting both its masking and vaccination mandates on May 1.
The university is going ahead with lifting its vaccination mandate as planned on May 1, but warned in its statement that it “may need to reinstate requirements for vaccinations in indoor settings should public health indicators change.”
Mandatory daily health screenings prior to entry into any university building will also be lifted in May as previously announced, but Ryerson is encouraging anyone coming onto campus to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms prior to their arrival.
Ryerson did not provide a date as to when they plan on lifting the mask mandate. The university added that they are working on health and safety practices for the upcoming fall semester “and will share more information in the weeks ahead.”
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