Sask. post-secondary institutions will start fall semester without mask or COVID-19 vaccine mandates – CBC

Public health measures to reduce virus transmission encouraged, but remain optional

Aug 24, 2022

Saskatchewan’s main post-secondary institutions will not require people to wear masks or provide proof of vaccination when they head back to campus this fall.

However, people are still being encouraged to use these tools to limit transmission and policies at these institutions could be subject to change.

“The mask mandate could be brought back,” said Dr. Darcy Marciniuk who chairs the University of Saskatchewan’s pandemic response and recovery team, in an interview. “The pandemic is not over and we do have evidence of COVID activity and transmission.”

Marciniuk said the level of COVID-19 activity hasn’t reached the threshold needed to trigger a mask mandate at the university. He said a mandate implemented too early could actually erode trust among people, making them less likely to comply with public health measures.

“If we, for instance, bring in a mandate too early or without the evidence in support of that, adherence of that mandate would be less optimistic.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sask-post-secondary-covid-mandates-fall-2022-1.6559624