Dear King’s Community,
Throughout the fall term, masks have been required indoors on King’s campus. First announced on August 10 and later extended to the end of the fall term, King’s relaxed its requirement for communal residence spaces on September 3. This created an important policy distinction: masks are required in “academic spaces,” that is, spaces where people on campus must be present; and masks are strongly encouraged in spaces where people on campus have an option whether or not to be present. This policy was established with the support of King’s Occupational Health & Safety Committee (OH&S), and with its adoption, King’s maintained its important alignment with our neighbour, Dalhousie.
With the end of the fall term approaching, I write to advise that I have accepted the advice of OH&S to retain a mask mandate through the winter term, with some changes. These changes will take effect at the beginning of the winter term. This decision will, I’m sure, cause relief in some and frustration in others. Experiences of the pandemic have varied significantly from one person to the next, and the same is true of our levels of tolerance toward the restrictions and policies introduced to mitigate its risks. This decision was not taken lightly. The OH&S committee’s recommendation was informed by reports of the rise of Covid and flu across the country, placing provincial health care systems under excessive strain and, by extension, placing those in our campus and wider community at greater risk. In addition to this, this decision maintains our alignment with Dalhousie, which announced that it will extend its mask mandate through the winter term, earlier today.
Through the winter term, masks will remain mandatory in the following spaces, with the exceptions listed:
- Campus classrooms: mask wearing remains mandatory. Lecturers and instructors will continue to be allowed to remove their masks to minimize interference with student learning.
- Library: mask wearing remains mandatory by library patrons except when seated alone for quiet reading or study.
Through the winter term, masks will be highly recommended in the following spaces, with the exceptions listed:
- Prince Hall: mask wearing will no longer be mandatory but will be highly recommended, except when eating and/or drinking.
- Hallways and common areas in academic buildings: mask wearing will no longer be mandatory but will be highly recommended.
- Gym: Mask wearing remains highly recommended in public areas, including among spectators at athletics games. Participants in games, practices, workouts and other athletic activities, including aerobics and weight room users, do not need to wear masks.
- Chapel: Mask wearing continues to be highly recommended by congregants or visitors. Choir singers and officiants do not need to wear masks.
- Wardroom (and Galley) remains highly recommended among visitors.
- Residences: Mask wearing remains highly recommended in common areas.
To support these recommendations and requirements, masks will remain available at the main points of entry to our academic buildings.
In addition to wearing a mask there are other things we can all continue to do to protect ourselves and those around us:
- Stay home when you feel sick.
- If you must leave home while feeling sick, wear a mask at all times.
- If you feel sick or have been around people who are sick, be careful of socializing with vulnerable populations such as babies or the elderly.
- Get your flu vaccination and Covid booster.
- Follow hygiene best practices, including continuing to wash your hands and common touch points.
Thank you for continuing to support these important acts of community care.
Sincerely,
Bill
William Lahey
President, Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Law
