U of R requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for fall semester

U of R requiring COVID-19 vaccines WATCH: The University of Regina will require those returning to campus to have proof of vaccination for COVID-19. Alison MacKinnon explains.

REGINA — The University of Regina will require faculty, staff and students to be fully vaccinated for the 2021-22 academic year, the school announced in a release Friday.

Members of the on-campus community must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1, 2021, the university said.

The school cited relatively low vaccination rates among residents under 30 in Saskatchewan, increasing case numbers and the presence of the “more highly-transmissible” Delta variant, as the main reasons to make the vaccines mandatory.

The school said it will provide more information to faculty, staff and students in the coming days.

“Similar vaccine requirements are being implemented at several other post-secondary institutions across the country,” U of R President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jeff Keshen said. “The University of Regina is confident that, in mandating vaccines, we can reduce the transmission of COVID-19 on our campuses and in our communities.”

The fall 2021 semester is being approached as a transitional semester for the U of R, with an increase in on-campus activity and in-person classes. The school aims to return to normal operation in Winter 2022, depending on the COVID-19 situation.

The University of Saskatchewan also mandated vaccinations for on-campus members on Friday.

More to come…