More Ontario universities make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory on campus
More universities in Ontario are making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for those who will be on campus this fall.
York University in Toronto, Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., the University of Guelph, and Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ont., were the latest to say Thursday that they'll require proof of vaccination from those attending their facilities.
The University of Toronto and Western University in London, Ont., announced their mandatory vaccination policies a day earlier.
Queen's University said all students, staff, and faculty returning to campus will need to be fully vaccinated or have a plan to do so by Sept. 7.
"We know from medical science that ensuring high vaccination rates is the most effective way to mitigate a fourth wave and to best safeguard our anticipated full return to campus," principal and vice-chancellor Patrick Deane said in a statement.
The University of Guelph said its mandatory vaccine policy would apply at its Guelph and Ridgetown campuses and indoors at all its university-managed field stations.
University President Charlotte A.B. Yates said the policy will help guard against outbreaks and protect individuals from severe disease, hospitalization and death.
The University of Toronto had earlier mandated vaccinations for those living on campus and for certain activities it considers "high-risk," such as varsity sports, music instruction and educational placements.
It now requires everyone who intends to be on its three campuses to be fully immunized -- those who cannot be vaccinated will need to participate in a rapid screening program and be subject to additional health measures.
"All members of our community should become vaccinated as soon as possible," Professor Salvatore Spadafora, special adviser to the university's president on COVID-19, said in a statement.
"The public health evidence is clear: Vaccination provides the best protection from COVID-19."
Western University said all students, staff and faculty on campus this fall will need to provide proof of vaccination and those who don't will need to be tested twice a week.
Ontario Tech University said it's giving individuals until Oct. 17 to receive their second vaccination. It said that was to accommodate community members coming from overseas, and others who "may not have realized the critical importance of vaccination or may have extenuating circumstances."
York University said that all community members, visitors and those living in undergraduate residences will required to be vaccinated.
Earlier this week, the University of Ottawa mandated COVID-19 vaccines for those attending its campus in the fall, while Seneca College in the Greater Toronto Area announced a similar policy in July.
Last Friday, the Council of Ontario Universities and Colleges Ontario called for a province-wide policy that requires the vaccination of post-secondary students, staff and faculty.
The organizations said post-secondary institutions also support the adoption of a "COVID Safe Pass" that would provide businesses and institutions an additional tool to help support public health measures.
Premier Doug Ford has been opposed to an Ontario vaccine certificate system, which would restrict access to some high-risk activities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2021.
With files from CTV Toronto's Abby Neufeld.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Some BMO bank clients face outages in Canada, U.S.
Bank of Montreal clients on both sides of the border Thursday morning have reported outages with banking services. BMO said its technical team is investigating.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
'I'm not wealthy': Ontario senior shocked she owes $40,000 in capital gains after gifting land
An Ontario senior who wanted to help her daughter and grandson eventually own homes one day decided to give them two lots on her property as a gift—but she didn’t know it would eventually cost her tens of thousands of dollars.
Want to turn off Meta AI? You can't - but there are some workarounds
If you use Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, you've probably noticed a new character pop up answering search queries or eagerly offering tidbits of information in your feeds, with varying degrees of accuracy.
opinion Trump's Republicans falling far behind in fundraising, infrastructure
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Washington political analyst Eric Ham explains how and why Republicans -- up and down the ballot -- are falling far behind Democrats in both fundraising and infrastructure.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Canadians' interest in buying EVs fades as barriers, concerns remain: J.D. Power
A new study finds fewer Canadians say they're interested in buying an electric vehicle as concerns remain about limited driving ranges, high prices and a lack of charging stations.
McDonald's says US$18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.