VANCOUVER -- Students heading to college and university in the fall may not be sure what to expect as restrictions are still in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in B.C.
On Friday, the province unveiled an overview of guidelines post-secondary schools have been given.
The document outlines minimum standards for B.C.'s 25 post-secondary institutions, as well as general guidance on topics including in-person learning, mental-health support and physical distancing.
Additionally, there are guidelines for the Fall 2020 semester on campus pubs, child care and cleaning.
Here's a quick summary of those guidelines, which were approved by provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and WorkSafeBC:
Campus access: All faculty, staff, students and visitors must assess themselves daily for symptoms before coming onto campus.
Athletics and recreation: Follow cleaning and physical distancing protocols, keep groups small, and provide non-medical masks for staff if close contact is required.
Child care: Follow provincial guidelines for child care and day camps.
Cleaning: Institutions should be cleaned and disinfected, and high-traffic areas and high-contact surfaces should be part of a schedule. Handwashing facilities should be well stocked, and shared items should be removed (ex. coffee and water stations).
Education delivery: Students attending classes remotely must follow expectations and policies for respectful behaviour, and any in-person instruction should have safety plans and allow for physical distancing. Consider assigned seating and seeing students in shifts.
Food services: Follow provincial guidelines.
Housing: Develop policies on guests, social events, cleaning and sanitizing and physical distancing; Make entryways and stairwells one-way, when possible; make plans for students with high-risk conditions and roommates, in case a student in a shared facility gets sick; Assess whether testing is necessary, and stagger move-in times.
Indigenous gathering places: Work with community partners to come up with plans to safely open sites to allow for cultural supports.
International students: They must self-quarantine for 14 days, and if living in a student residence, should move in two weeks before other students if possible; Provide information on federal and provincial regulations.
Libraries: Follow provincial guidelines for libraries.
Medical clinics: Follow provincial guidelines for health professionals and in-person counselling.
Pubs: Follow provincial guidelines, including maintaining physical distancing, rearranging seating and waiting areas if needed, and managing break times and schedules.
Retail services: Follow provincial guidelines for other retail outlets.
Safety: Provide and stock adequate handwashing facilities, and come up with guidance for staff and students; Implement a cleaning protocol for common areas; Supply PPE for students and staff carrying out tasks where it is required; Develop a Safe work plan in accordance with WorkSafeBC's process; Conduct a period review of the effectiveness of the plan.
The full document released by the B.C. government includes more details, as well as guidance on administrative areas, communication and education for the community, medical clinics, counselling and first aid, museums and art galleries, outdoor spaces and more.
Read through it below:
