Current situation in Canada
As of March 11, 2020, 93 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Canada.
| Province or territory |
Confirmed cases |
|
Ontario
|
36
|
|
British Columbia
|
39
|
|
Quebec
|
4
|
|
Alberta
|
14
|
General Update and Health Information
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control: “B.C. has confirmed cases of coronavirus; however the risk to Canadians continues to be low”.
The contamination pattern is not well understood and the global situation is shifting. Diagnoses of COVID-19 have risen significantly around the world and new cases are being reported each day.
The BC Centre for Disease Control suggests that you can protect yourself and others by following the same advice that public health officials recommend for the cold and flu season:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, avoid others who are unwell, and stay home when you are sick.
- The most important thing you can do to prevent coronavirus and other illnesses is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.
- Cover your mouth when you cough so you're not exposing other people. If you are sick yourself, stay away from others. Contact your health-care provider ahead of time so you can be safely assessed.
- Stay home if you are sick.
It is important that anyone planning to travel abroad consult the Government of Canada websites for
travel advisories and
travel health notices.
Two of the most reliable sources of information are the BC Centre for Disease Control website and the Public Health Agency of Canada website. There is a great deal of information available but not every source is reliable, I would urge you to be discriminating about the information you consume and rely on official government websites for the most accurate information.
Links to more information:
Business Continuity, Classes & Activities
As of today, March 9, all scheduled activities, including classes and events, are unaffected. However,we encourage everyone to follow the general health and hygiene procedures outlined above.
Given the risks posed by the virus and how little is known about it, we may have to make some difficult choices if the situation changes. Our top priority must be to support the health and wellbeing of our community as we continue to fulfill our mission. Should any disruptions or change of service levels be required, we will try our best to minimize resulting burdens, but I do not expect
that we will be able to eliminate them. Indeed, the virus has already disrupted classes, study abroad programs and required changes to international travel plans at some institutions in Canada and around the globe. (See below for more on study abroad and travel information).
CNC Guidance for Travel and Study Abroad
As of today, no decision has been made regarding cancelling upcoming CNC international travel including currently scheduled study abroad and practicum related trips that have already been approved. A number of Canadian institutions have cancelled all international travel, and the situation is changing. At CNC however, for trips that are still a number of weeks away, we are
planning to wait and before any decisions are made we will continue to monitor health authority, government travel advisories and any direction given by the BC government.
In terms of any new CNC related travel plans to international locations, no new travel should be contemplated in the near future. However, any travel requests that do arise will be assessed on a case by case basis.
In terms of personal travel, we know that many of you may plan travel after the semester. We urge you to weigh the risks and potential consequences for yourself and others. If you are planning to travel please refer to the Government of Canada websites for travel advisories and travel health notices.
Update
On behalf of President Dennis Johnson
To the members of the CNC community,
CNC, with advisories from the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Public Health Agency of Canada, continues to monitor developments related to the coronavirus, and will provide you with relevant information as needed. For several weeks, we have been tracking the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation and Tyson von den Steinen, Director, Safety & Security has been offering regular updates through the CNC website. However, with ongoing developments and the disease now established in Canada and British Columbia, and the resulting number of questions and concerns being expressed, we are intensifying our institutional response.
I write now to share important information. Because COVID-19 has the potential to affect all of us at CNC in some way, I ask that everyone – students, operational staff, leadership and faculty; take the time to read and share the information below. The remainder of the message is organized into four sections: general update and health information; important links to more information; business continuity, classes and activities; and travel and study abroad.
Since future challenges from COVID-19 could disrupt critical functions at CNC and in the community, we are monitoring changes and developing contingency plans. However, as of today, CNC is continuing with regular operations and all scheduled classes and events will continue. The situation will be assessed daily and you will be informed of any changes.
Even without confirmed cases in our region, there may be those that are concerned and anxious about the future. I hope we can be sensitive to each other’s burdens in this situation, provide support when possible and make accommodations when we can. And I count on every member of our community to make sure that the rumors, discrimination, shunning and bullying that have been reported at other institutions since the outbreak never occur at CNC.
I encourage each of you to think through how you can help limit risk and support others. I know that both the spread of this disease and our decisions about it will affect not only CNC programs and activities, but the lives of individuals. Should the situation worsen, the steps we may need to take to protect the health of the community may involve significant inconvenience. Please accept my gratitude in advance for your goodwill and understanding.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dennis Johnson
President and CEO
All COVID-19 Information
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