August 23, 2021 – Update for return to campus this Fall

Yesterday the Ontario Government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced that the Province will remain in Step 3 and will be supporting vaccine policies in post-secondary institutions to enable a safe return to campuses this fall.

We are pleased to see this support for a vaccination mandate across the sector and we have been told that further guidance is forthcoming from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) by early next week. We want to reassure the community that we remain on track for our plans to gradually reopen in-person activities on York’s campuses this fall. When we receive further guidance from the MCU, we will update you again on any impacts for our planning.

Vaccination Requirements

York continues to advance our plans for implementing the recently announced requirement for all community members and visitors to our campuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For those seeking to schedule vaccination appointments, use the provincial booking system, or consult local pharmacies or walk-in vaccination clinics across the province. Proof you are vaccinated can be done by showing the physical or emailed receipt that was provided at the time of vaccination. Vaccination receipts can also be downloaded or printed through the provincial portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900.

For international students, York continues to support those who do not have access to vaccinations ahead of arrival through local pharmacies or on-campus vaccination clinics, which will be happening this Fall term. Students who arrive with vaccines not approved by the WHO or by Health Canada should consult medical professionals about mixing vaccines and the timing that it is safe to do so.

More updates will be shared with you in the coming days, and all updates will be posted on the Better Together website.

Mandatory Daily Screening

We have launched YU Screen, a new automated COVID-19 self-assessment screening tool that all York community members and visitors must use prior to each visit to campus to confirm that they have not been exposed to COVID-19. Completing YU Screen before every trip to campus will be additional to complying with the University’s vaccination requirement. More details on this new tool will be shared with you shortly.

We recognize that the public health situation continues to shift and that this can cause confusion and anxiety. The health and safety of our community members continues to be our top priority, and we are advancing multiple strategies and initiatives to protect health and safety.

We want to thank all of our community members for continuing to do their part to protect themselves and others throughout this pandemic. We look forward to sharing more details with you very shortly about our plans to safely welcome you back to campuses this September.

Sincerely,

Lisa Philipps
Provost & Vice-President Academic

Amir Asif
Vice-President, Research & Innovation