COVID Update April 23

What we must do, and what will guide us in making decisions 

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has advised post-secondary institutions to prepare for face-to-face instruction by this fall. Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang said this will take place with all appropriate measures to keep people safe. 

CNC continues to prepare for the return to face-to-face instruction. We will work within the organization, with partners in health care, the unions and many others for a safe return. 

What has happened in the past two weeks 

On Monday April 19th, the province updated its travel advisory. At this time, all non-essential travel should be avoided. This includes travel into and out of B.C. and between regions of the province. For example: 

• Do not travel for a vacation; and 

• Do not travel to visit friends or family outside of your household or core bubble. 

Individual circumstances may affect whether a trip is considered essential or non-essential. Essential travel within B.C. includes: 

• Regular travel for work within your region; and 

• Travel for things like medical appointments and hospital visits. 

In terms of recent orders that directly affect CNC: 

• Dr. Henry recommended working from home whenever possible unless it is essential to be in the workplace. For those working on campus, safety plans remain in place to protect employees and students. With their manager’s approval, employees may work from home if their position allows; and 

• With respect to travel, CNC has already limited travel for staff except for business-critical reasons. We have shared these travel alerts to students and the public via our social media channels. 

What we are doing now 

Tyson von den Steinen, CNC’s director of safety and security, continues to participate as a member of a provincial steering committee. As the province’s go-forward guidelines are updated, Tyson and his staff will work with you to apply them here at CNC. This will likely involve updates to CNC’s COVID-19 safety plan as well as several operational safety plans that have been in effect since last year. 

CNC’s budget submission for the upcoming fiscal year will go to the College’s Board of Directors next Friday. This will include spending proposals for COVID-related costs that the college continues to bear. 

What you can expect to hear next, and how you can help 

The BC government has opened registration for the COVID-19 vaccine. We encourage CNC employees to speak with their primary care provider and seek trusted sources of information about specific interventions and their personal health.  

You can register at https://www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca/ or by calling 1-833-838-2323. By today, anyone born in 2003 or earlier can register. Appointments will take place based on one’s age, the province’s COVID-19 immunization plan phases, and vaccine supply. 

We must keep following all safety measures even after being vaccinated. While fatigue with the pandemic is real, we must take every step to maintain the health of those at CNC community and in the communities we serve. Two key reminders: 

• Face-to-face meetings must only be for essential needs that cannot be reasonably discussed through videoconferencing; and 

• Please continue to maintain your use of masks, physical distancing, and adherence to the safety plans of your department and CNC overall. 

Further reading:

• March 8th: a statement from Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang on the return to face-to-face education 
• CNC’s COVID-19 page
• Northern Health’s COVID-19 vaccine plan
• The Government of British Columbia’s response to COVID-19
• Provincial vaccination registration portal
• BC Centre for Disease Control