COVID-19 Vaccination Policy Update/Requirements to Access College Facilities

We wanted to provide an update on Humber’s new COVID-19 vaccination policy and requirements to access college facilities during the first few weeks of the fall term.

We appreciate your patience as we implement the new policy. This week, we have received further information from the provincial government about mandatory requirements for Ontario college and university vaccination policies and exemption processes. We are reviewing that information to ensure our policy is in alignment with government and public health directives.

We are committed to keeping you up to date and informed. We know that there are many questions and we are working hard to answer them as quickly as we can and as new information becomes available.

We look forward to a safe return to campus for all.

Communications and Contact Information

Please continue to visit our vaccination policy FAQ as we are adding new content to it on an ongoing basis.  

We have also made a change to better respond to the range of questions and concerns about COVID-19 infections, campus access, technical issues and the exemption process.  

  • Please note that you will receive communication regarding your exemption request once you have completed both the Declaration of COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Acknowledgement of Return to Campus Conditions and the exemption details form. The exemption details form will be sent to you after you have submitted the Return to Campus Acknowledgment form, beginning the week of September 13. 
  • We now ask that you contact the COVID-19 Reporting team at covidreporting@humber.ca ONLY if you have been on campus in the past 14 days or plan on being on campus in the next 14 days and you: 
    • have tested positive for COVID-19 
    • are feeling sick or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, 
    • been in close contact (less than 6-feet, with or without a mask, longer than 15 mins) with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (including anyone you live with) 
    • been in contact with someone who has symptoms but does not yet have a positive test 
    • have questions about COVID-19 at Humber 
  • If you have general questions about the vaccination policy or exemption process, you can contact your manager or the HR Support Centre (416-675-5001; Chat: humber.ca/hrchat; E-form inquiry: humber.ca/hrinquiry).

Return to Campus Acknowledgment Form 

Earlier this week, a Declaration of COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Return to Campus Acknowledgment form was sent to students and active staff by email.  

Thank you to all of those who have submitted their form. For forms received the week of August 30th, the deadline for submission is September 7. 

As contracts are finalized and students continue to register and confirm their enrolment status, we will be sending out this form to students and employees.  

If you have not yet received the form, it may be due to the fact that your contract was recently finalized or has yet to be processed. Please contact the HR Support Centre if you have not received the form within three days of receiving your contract or if you are currently an active employee. Third party contractors will be issued their Return to Campus Acknowledgement Form beginning the week of September 7th. 

Exemption form distribution update

We now plan to issue exemption forms beginning the week of September 13.

We recognize that we previously communicated that exemption forms should be submitted by September 7. However, as we continue to receive new information from the provincial government relating to mandatory vaccination policies, we are completing a further review of the exemptions process.

For those intending to seek an exemption on medical grounds, please note that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has advised its members that there are very few acceptable medical exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination.

Students and employees seeking an exemption can come to campus if they follow the requirements outlined below.

Requirements to access college facilities beginning September 7 for students and employees who are currently not fully vaccinated or are seeking an exemption

Until you are fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption, you are required to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to attend campus. This can be done with a hard copy or email result of the negative test taken within the 72 hours prior to attending campus. Valid proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen) must clearly show the individual’s name, type of COVID-19 test performed, date and time of the test, and the negative result.

We are planning to provide Rapid Antigen Testing onsite at the North and Lakeshore Campuses beginning the week of September 13. Students and staff will be able to access testing at these sites free of charge. A reminder that Rapid Antigen Testing is for asymptomatic individuals. If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please do not attend campus for any reason. Students at the International Graduate School can find information on testing location options on the IGS student portal.

Prior to those sites opening, anyone coming to campus who is not fully vaccinated is responsible for ensuring they have secured a negative test result, including any  associated costs. Rapid Antigen Testing is available at pharmacies to individuals who do not have any symptoms of COVID-19. To find a location near you, visit: covid-19.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations.

Everyone is required to complete the screening tool on the Guardian app when attending campus in-person. You will need to show the result of your screening to access campus facilities.

Later this month, we expect that you will be able to upload your test result via the Guardian app as part of the screening process, and we will share more details on how to do that and information on the app’s privacy protections.