COVID-19 health and safety update

The university’s response to COVID-19 continues to evolve in accordance with public health guidance and orders. The university has fully implemented the core COVID-19 prevention measures recommended or required by public health for post-secondary institutions in BC. A summary of these measures can be found on the BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) website and the Return to Campus Public Health Guidance published by the BC CDC and Ministry of Health in October.

With these measures in place, the BC CDC continues to advise that post-secondary educational settings are low-risk settings for COVID-19 transmission, particularly in the context of a highly immunized population. Our own experience this semester is a good illustration of these expectations.

While there have been about three isolated cases of COVID-19 in the UVic community of 27,900 people each week, there has not been a single case of COVID-19 transmission anywhere on campus, including in student housing. To be clear, to date and throughout the 22 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been no instances of transmission of the virus in a campus learning environment. COVID-19 case rate and vaccination information by local health authority and by community is available on the BCCDC COVID-19 surveillance dashboard.

Vaccination self-declaration program update

UVic requires all students and employees to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status. Those who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 or who choose not to disclose their vaccine status are required to participate in ongoing COVID-19 rapid testing if they plan to come to campus, or attend an off-campus facility or activity controlled or organized by UVic.

As of Oct. 31, 2021: 

UVic employees

UVic students

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