Post-secondary schools eye return to normal as B.C. government releases return-to-campus guidelines

Post-secondary students and staffwill be returning to classrooms and dormitoriesacross British Columbia this fall,according to the provincial government'snew return-to-campus guidelines.

Released Monday, the guidelinesare built around the province's four-step restart plan, which aims to lift virtually all COVID-19 restrictions by September.

As of July 1, B.C. has enteredthe third step,with plans to move on to the fourth and final stage by Sept.7, which coincides with the start of the fall semester.

According to the guidelines,post-secondary institutions will no longer be required to have a COVID-19 safety plan in place by then. Instead, schools are developing communicable disease plans to reduce the risk of all respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.

• Read the complete return-to-campus guidelines here

Campusstudent housing providers can plan for close-to-full occupancy for the fall, but schoolsare "strongly encouraged" to hold back one to two per cent of of total beds for isolation and quarantine use in case of a future outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Masks will not be mandatory, lectures and lessons will be held in person,cleaning protocols will return to pre-pandemic levels and individuals coming to campus will be responsible for daily self-health checks to make sure they are not coming to school sick.

"We are back to pre-pandemic normalcy," saidMatt Milovick, chair of the committee that created the guidelines and vice-president of administration and finance at Thompson Rivers University.

He saidSeptember 2021 on B.C. campuses "couldlook a lot like they did in fall 2019."

Immunization key to success

Milovick said the guidelines were created withexperts from the public post-secondary sector, including Indigenous organizations and student associations, working "hand-in-hand" with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

"The key to this being successful, of course, is people getting vaccinated," said Milovick.

As of Monday,5,288,644 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C.,including 1,668,268second doses.

By June 29, before the province transitioned to the third step of its restart plan on July 1,almost 80 per cent of British Columbianshadhad at least one dose of vaccine. About 36 per cent of the province's population have been fully immunized.

British Columbians aged 12 and over who have not yet been immunized can register in three ways:

• Online through theGet Vaccinated portal.
• By calling 1-833-838-2323. Translators are available in 140 languages.
• In person at anyService B.C. location.

Sherri Bell, president of Camosun Collegeand chair of the British Columbia Colleges association, acknowledged there may be some nervesaround the prospect of returning to pre-pandemic conditions on campus.

"While some people may be a little nervous as well as excited, the health, safety and well-being of employees, students and campus visitors remains the priority," said Bell in a statement.

LISTEN|Matt Milovick speaks to On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko aboutB.C.'s return-to-campus guidelines: