What we must do, and what will guide us in making decisions
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry continues to advise 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
Travel restrictions: The Government of British Columbia has conducted a further update to its travel advisory. Under the Emergency Program Act, an order restricting non-essential travel between certain regions of the province is in place until May 25 at midnight. These non-essential reasons include:
- Vacations, weekend getaways and tourism activities;
- Visiting family or friends for social reasons; and
- Recreation activities.
The order combines B.C.'s five health authorities into three regions of the province. Travel into and out of the regions for non-essential reasons is not allowed and is now prohibited by law. For northern BC residents, travel for non-essential reasons into and out of the area of the combined Northern and Interior health authorities is not allowed. More information and a map.
Return-to-class primer: the province has also issued the COVID-19 Return-to-Campus Primer for post-secondary institutions. It outlines key public health planning assumptions and safety measures to help institutions prepare for the return to campus. We are studying the primer and its assumptions as we prepare for the fall 2021 term. Read the news release.
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. The province has indicated that BC’s revised go-forward guidelines will be ready for implementation by August 1st. 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 and operational safety plans that have been in effect since last year.
What you can expect to hear next, and how you can help
Health checks: Under provincial law and workplace regulations, CNC employees must complete their COVID-19 health check on any day they will be on a college campus. You must complete this check before starting work. You can do so on-line either from home before coming to campus, or immediately upon arrival on campus. Employees who do not have access to a computer should complete a paper version and submit to their manager.
Vaccination: Registration for the COVID-19 vaccine continues. 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 online or by calling 1-833-838-2323. Appointments will take place based on one’s age, the province’s COVID-19 immunization plan phases, and vaccine supply. You should not expect to book an appointment the same day you register.
The province has provided up to three hours of paid leave to be vaccinated against COVID-19, effective and retroactive to April 19th, 2021. If you require time off work to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination, advise your administrator as soon as you can of your need for time off and how long you require.
On-going safety measures: 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 in the CNC community and the communities we serve. Two key reminders:
Face-to-face meetings must only be for essential needs that cannot be reasonably discussed through videoconferencing or by telephone; and
Please continue to maintain your use of masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and adherence to the safety plans of your department and CNC overall.
Further reading: