St. Catharines university pushes pause button on masks, vaccines

Much like Niagara College did on Monday, Brock University with campuses in both St. Catharines and Thorold will no longer face mask or vaccine mandates as of July 4.

While referring to it as a “pause” should there be any unforeseen future spikes in Omicron variants, the university was among the last in the province to yank the mandates.

“Brock’s decision is reflective of trends in the sector and the broader community, with the Government of Ontario having lifted its vaccine mandate in March 2022,” said the university. “Most colleges and universities in Ontario removed their vaccine requirements earlier this year.”

However, they are still preaching caution when it comes to close quarters. “Masks will still be encouraged in settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

And there are specific places on campus where the mandates will continue to be enforced.

“Masks and/or vaccines may continue to be required in specific research settings, especially for some types of in-person human participant research, as determined with the guidance of the Research Ethics Board.”

However, the university is still determined to provide a safe environment.

“Brock will continue to take appropriate steps to maintain a safe work and learning environment on campus as the pandemic evolves, including maintaining upgrades to ventilation systems on campus that were first introduced in September 2021.”