STUDENTS CALL ON PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER TO CHANGE GUIDANCE TO POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC - The Alliance of BC Students is calling on BC’s Public Health Officer (PHO) to change the guidance issued to post-secondary institution presidents on December 21, 2021 that “strongly recommend(s) a continuation of on-campus instruction for post-secondary institutions in January 2022.”

“In light of the extraordinarily fast spread of the Omicron variant, on-campus instruction is even less safe than it was just a month ago,” said ABCS Chairperson Aryanna Chartrand. “The Alliance is calling on the PHO to change the guidance recently issued to post-secondary institution presidents and instead recommend a case-by-case approach that takes into account local public health conditions and the advice of each institution’s student union, and maximizes the number of available hybrid learning options for students.”

“The blanket guidance that the PHO has issued to post-secondary institution presidents encourages post-secondary institutions to opt for an approach that does not accommodate immunocompromised students, who have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or students who live with people who are immunocompromised, “ said Chartrand. “The PHO should encourage post-secondary institutions to provide all students with the agency to choose whether or not to take the risk of attending class in-person, or stay safe by attending class online.”

For more information please contact:

Aryanna Chartrand
Chairperson
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
e: chairperson@bcstudents.ca
www.bcstudents.ca

Joshua Millard
Executive Director
Pronouns: He/Him/His
c: (604) 600-6732
|e: jmillard@bcstudents.ca

Hassan Merali
Director, Communications
Pronouns: He/Him/His
c: (778) 580-7967
e: hmerali@bcstudents.ca