SASKATOON – Over 95 per cent of the on-campus community at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have submitted a status of “fully COVID-vaccinated.”
Since implementing the proof of vaccination status process at the end of August, in advance of the fall term, 99 per cent of the campus community have reported their status, with 88.6 per cent being on-campus and 11.4 per cent reporting as off-campus. Of the on-campus group, 95.3 per cent – more than 24,000 students, staff and faculty – are considered “fully vaccinated” as of USask’s Oct. 18 deadline for full vaccination status. Overall, approximately 97 per cent of staff and faculty, and 93 per cent of students have declared a fully vaccinated status.
“Looking at the campus numbers, it’s clear that the USask community believes vaccinations are the clearest path towards beating COVID-19 and its dangerous variants,” said Peter Stoicheff, USask president and vice-chancellor. “The pandemic has required us to be exceptionally informed, flexible and responsive. I remain deeply appreciative of all that everyone at USask has done to show that data-based policy and community-minded compliance achieve the best health outcomes for everyone.”
When adding in campus members with at least one vaccination, the overall USask vaccination rate increases to 96.3 per cent, while 2.3 per cent of the campus community said "no" or chose "not to disclose" vaccination status. On-campus members who are partially vaccinated, not vaccinated or chose not to disclose status require twice weekly negative testing to access university campuses and workplaces.
Stoicheff said that submitting vaccination or testing status is a requirement of all students, faculty, staff and contractors, and that there are consequences for non-adherence, including loss of access to course tools, suspension from studies, unpaid leave and no longer being permitted on campus.
USask also continues to require masking for all indoor spaces, and for masks to be worn at any outdoor on-campus gathering of more than 20 people, including Huskies games. Vaccinations are available on campus to all members of the campus community through the Student Wellness Centre and on-campus pharmacy.
“The university is closely monitoring the status of the pandemic throughout the community and the province, and the vaccination and testing compliance rates on campus,” Stoicheff added. “We will be considering additional measures to ensure the health and safety of our campuses and workplaces, and the communities we serve, as we finalize our plans for the upcoming January term.”
USask continues to share data about the vaccination rates and the known positive COVID-19 cases among members of the university community. More information can be found here.
