B.C. students say universities haven't done COVID-19 testing on unvaccinated as promised
Students and staff at Metro Vancouver’s two largest universities say not enough is being done to keep them safe from COVID-19, and their concerns revolve around testing protocols for the unvaccinated.
Both Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia decided against making vaccination mandatory for work and study on campus this semester.
“The decisions that SFU makes around the safety of our community have consequences,” said SFU Student Society president Gabe Liosis, in an interview with CTV News Vancouver.
All students, faculty and staff at both schools were directed to declare their vaccination status through an online portal but not everyone has done that.
Those who are unvaccinated, or who choose not to declare, are supposed to be subjected to regular rapid COVID-19 testing. But students and staff at the schools say nobody is checking to make sure they do.
“There’s no actual enforcement and no consequences,” said Derek Sahota, with the SFU Teaching Support Staff Union. “And so that means at the moment, about 15 per cent of the community, we have no idea whether they’re vaccinated or not or whether they’ve been tested or not.”
In a statement to CTV News, the University of British Columbia said it is about to begin an audit of its vaccine declarations.
“It is our hope that through education and communication we’ll be able to resolve any issues, however continued non-compliance may lead to significant repercussions. The determination of outcomes will be reviewed on a case by case basis,” reads the statement.
SFU also sent a statement from Vice-Provost Elizabeth Elle.
“We are very proud of the work and due diligence that our community has taken to follow COVID-19 safety precautions and protocols,” she said. “Any continued non-compliance will be reviewed and followed up on a case-by-case basis. An audit will also be conducted in November to ensure the accuracy of proof of vaccine submissions.”
But neither school has said how they will enforce the rapid testing mandate for the unvaccinated – or what consequences there could be.
“From our perspective, it has been a bit disappointing to see that the rollout has taken this long,” said Cole Evans, president of UBC’s Alma Mater Society. “Especially when the University made those commitments that they would have this up and ready to go for the start of the school year.”
With the last day of classes just six weeks away, it’s not clear if SFU or UBC will take any action before then.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.