Algonquin College mandates COVID-19 vaccination for its three campuses

Algonquin College in Ottawa on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA — Algonquin College will now require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend or visit any of its three campuses in eastern Ontario.

This follows similar decisions by other post-secondary institutions in Ottawa, including the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, and comes on the heels of the provincial government's announcement of new vaccination policies for high-risk settings, including colleges and universities.

In a statement on its website Wednesday, Algonquin College president and CEO Claude Brulé said the policy will be in effect for the start of the fall term.

"All learners, employees, contractors and visitors will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination – unless exempted – in order to attend in-person activities at our campuses in Ottawa, Pembroke and Perth. This includes those learners living in our Residence on the Ottawa Campus," he wrote.

Starting Sept. 7, anyone accessing campus will have to show proof that they had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A second dose will be required by Oct. 12.

"The implementation details surrounding our mandatory vaccination policy are under development and will be shared with the College community in the near future. We intend to make this process as simple as possible with app-based technology," Brulé added.

Post-secondary institutions across Canada have been issuing vaccination mandates over the summer in anticipation of a fall term coinciding with an expected surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant.

On Tuesday, the Ontario government announced new policies around vaccinations for people in high-risk settings, but stopped short of making vaccines mandatory. Those who do not get vaccinated would be required to undergo regular antigen testing, which is part of the policies in place at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.