Today, the province is officially moving into Step 3 of its Roadmap to Reopen. We are very encouraged by an improving public health situation and surpassed vaccination targets. However, we are mindful of recent comments made by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health about the importance of having the highest rate of vaccination possible heading into September, as more will begin to gather indoors.  

The latest health data also shows that there is a disproportionate rate of infection among those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. The University continues to strongly recommend that all eligible members of the York community receive their COVID-19 vaccines this summer.  

A preliminary review of the impact of Step 3 for York suggests that while there are no major changes to the delivery of the Summer Term (with courses largely delivered remotely), some fitness and in-person research activities involving human participants will resume. The following will apply under Step 3: 

• Beginning on July 19, The Tait McKenzie Fitness Centre will have a limited re-opening for York students only, with workout times available on a reserved basis. The Fitness Centre has scheduled fitness classes to resume the following week by reservation. 
• While indoor gatherings must allow for all to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres, in-person instruction will continue to abide by existing gathering limitations (10-person maximum), with an exception for a maximum of 50 persons allowed for in-person instruction in the School of Nursing. 
• All indoor gatherings must still abide by 2-metre physical distancing, masking/face covering requirements and/or the proper use of PPE.
• Students filming outdoors or undertaking other activities outdoors must abide by the 100-person outdoor gathering limit.

• Beginning on July 16, in-person/face-to-face research involving human participants will resume with exceptions, subject to approved health and safety plans, current ethics and/or permit approval and applicable physical distancing requirements. 
• If you do need to come to campus, please request access through the Campus Access system or have pre-existing approval to access campus spaces. Completion of daily screening is also part of this process. 

We continue to await guidance from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) on what will and will not be permitted for the Fall 2021 term and anticipate that this information will be shared with Ontario’s post-secondary sector soon. We continue to develop plans to implement changes to on campus activities, in-person classes and student experiences, at the appropriate time.  

In the coming weeks, more information will be shared via weekly Wellness Wednesday Return to Campus Special Issues and on the Better Together website. As well, if you have questions about York’s safe return to campus that are not currently covered under the FAQs, please feel free to submit them here. 

Sincerely, 

Lisa Philipps 
Provost & Vice-President Academic 

Amir Asif 
Vice-President, Research & Innovation