With some Alberta universities still demanding vaccine passports, advanced education minister Demetrios Nicolaides has called on the province’s post-secondary institutions to eliminate COVID-19 restrictions by March 1.
The day after the Alberta government announced the lifting of vaccine passports, some institutions, including Red Deer Polytechnic, had immediately followed suit. Others, including the University of Calgary, had responded that their policies would remain unchanged.
“It is my expectation that all of Alberta’s universities, colleges, and polytechnics will align their COVID-19 policies and practices with that of Alberta’s government,” said Nicolaides in a letter on Thursday. “Like you, I am eager to see students returning to in-person learning without masking and proof of vaccination requirements this March.”
Nicolaides said that post-secondary institutions would be able to return to running in-person classes without social distancing, vaccine passports and masks effective March 1.
As students start coming back to campus, Nicolaides encouraged Alberta post-secondary institutions to promote vaccination and follow current COVID-19 measures. He thanked them for adapting to the last two years “to ensure effective teaching and learning experiences.”
“This gives me confidence that our students will end their winter 2022 semesters in person with their classmates, while staying safe,” he said.
Nicolaides’s remarks come as some public universities continue to demand proof of vaccination.
“There will be no immediate changes to the University of Calgary’s vaccination directive or its masking mandate,” read a university COVID update on Tuesday. “The COVIDSafe Campus protocols are not part of the Government of Alberta’s Restriction Exemption Program.”
The university added that it is looking into the new measures and would provide an update on health and safety protocols in the coming days.
Alberta premier Jason Kenney announced at a press conference on Monday that the province would be removing restrictions in three phases in the coming weeks.
“The last two years have taken a significant toll on Albertans’ overall health, social and economic well-being,” said Kenney. “Now that we are through the worst of the fifth wave and have achieved high vaccination rates, it is time to shift to a balanced approach where we are able to live with COVID-19 and return to normal.”
Kenney said that step one involved vaccine passports ending Tuesday. Places such as restaurants, gyms and post-secondary institutions could also operate at normal capacity limits.
Step two, with an expected start date of March 1, would see the provincial mask mandate end and people no longer advised to work from home.
Step three, which is to be determined, would see any restrictions in long-term care being removed. Mandatory isolation would become a recommendation rather than a requirement.
