Safety measures up to universities, minister says

Government says it will not play role in whether to shut down residences

The University of Guelph has boosted security and is considering a curfew to help curb student parties after unauthorized gatherings led to a COVID-19 outbreak that has now hit 49 people.

Ontario Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano said he has discussed the outbreak and its cause with president Charlotte Yates.

“I had a conversation with president Yates about that (Monday) and the situation is being monitored and under control,” he said following an unrelated, livestreamed announcement Tuesday.

Despite the outbreak there, and others that have occurred on a number of campuses, Romano said the government does not play a role in deciding whether student housing should remain open or shut down.

“Universities are autonomous institutions,” he said. “They’ve done a phenomenal job of planning and how they’ve addressed COVID-19, ensuring that staff, faculty and, of course, students are safe. In some circumstances, residences are the principal addresses and principal residences of some of our students.”

Some universities have strictly limited those living in student residences, though all have curtailed the numbers.

In a typical year, Guelph would have 5,000 living in residence, but this year there are just 840.

McMaster University president David Farrar said Tuesday that “all universities are different in how they’ve approached this … our residences are being use to quarantine — quarantine for health-care workers, also for students in the area” who need to isolate.

Experts have raised alarm bells about having young adults living in such close quarters, the potential for socializing as well as travel back and forth between school and home — especially during the provincial stay-at-home order.

Queen’s University had asked students to stay home for the holiday break until the end of January, and Western — which has dealt with outbreaks in its residences — said they’d be allowed back in waves starting mid-February.

Adding to post-secondary concerns are the new COVID-19 variants, as well as upcoming reading week, when students typically travel home.

Queen’s said in a statement that anyone who returns to the Kingston area from anywhere but neighbouring Hastings and Prince Edward Counties or Leeds, Grenville and Lanark must self-isolate for two weeks.

And on Monday, “following the identification of the first lab confirmed case of a new, more easily transmissible variant of COVID-19 in the region,” the local public health unit is asking that anyone returning or moving to the area “in the last 14 days also consider voluntary, asymptomatic testing for COVID-19.”

At Guelph, a spokesperson said the university will issue fines of $120 for not wearing a mask, failing to social-distance or for gatherings.