Post-secondary town hall with Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dr. Reka Gustafson
- University of Victoria
A virtual town hall took place Feb. 9 with representatives from the Office of the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and BC’s COVID-19 immunization program to discuss current public health guidance for BC’s post-secondary institutions. Attendees included leaders representing student governments, unions and universities.
Watch the town hallThe topics discussed included:
- Transmission dynamics of the Omicron variant and low risk of transmission in structured post-secondary settings where vaccination levels are very high
- Importance of wearing a mask that fits well and can be worn for long periods
- Importance of staying home when sick
- Equal access to education vs. vaccine mandates
- Importance of in-person education and social interaction for young people’s mental health
- How public health data is used to monitor and adjust health and safety measures in different settings
- Advice for those who are immunocompromised
- Availability of new treatments for COVID-19
- Importance of vaccination and taking other safety measures to limit transmission: e.g. wearing a mask, washing hands