Laurier to require proof of vaccination: next steps for students and employees

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Updated: Aug. 30, 2021

As we look forward to the start of fall term, Wilfrid Laurier University is taking increased measures to protect the health and safety of our university community amid the ongoing risks of COVID-19, the delta variant and other variants of concern. The notice below outlines critical information following our Aug. 13 announcement that members of the university community must be fully vaccinated to attend campus beginning fall term.

Updated Information

• By Sept. 7, students, staff and faculty will be required to provide proof of their vaccination status.
• Those who are not yet fully vaccinated, or who have received a medical or human rights accommodation to allow for an exemption from the mandatory vaccination requirement, will be required to follow the Rapid Testing Program requirements and health and safety protocols and policies.
• The university expects that all students, faculty and staff will have received their second vaccination no later than Oct. 8 unless they have an approved exemption.

Providing proof of vaccination status is consistent with the recent recommendation to all Ontario postsecondary institutions by the Council of Medical Officers of Health and is an important step in our shared responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Immediate Next Steps for Students and Employees

1. Ensure you are fully vaccinated or have plans to be fully vaccinated prior to attending Laurier’s campuses this fall with a Health Canada approved vaccine or a World Health Organization approved vaccine. If needed, register for an appointment using Ontario’s booking portal. The university expects that all students, faculty and staff will have received their second vaccination no later than Oct. 8 unless they have an approved exemption.
2. Obtain your proof of vaccination receipts at ontariohealth.ca. After accepting the terms of use, you will be prompted to enter your health card number, at which point you can download your receipt(s) from your COVID-19 vaccine(s). Take a picture of the documents or save a screenshot from your phone. Out-of-province or international students can access their government websites for vaccine receipts.
3. Download the SAFEHawk app on your mobile phone. The app includes a Vaccine Passport section where you will enter the date of your vaccination(s) and upload proof of vaccination. The SAFEHawk app will be your central portal for all COVID-19 related tools including proof of vaccination, vaccine exemption requests, and daily symptom self-assessments. Web-based access will be available for those without access to a mobile phone.

Aug. 30 – Sept. 7 Next Steps for Students and Employees

4. Upload your proof of vaccination status to SAFEHawk by no later than Sept. 7. The Vaccine Passport is active under the COVID-19 Resources section, and you will be able to enter the dates of your first and second vaccines and upload your vaccine receipts (see Step 2). Note: if you already had the SAFEHawk app open prior to Aug. 30, you should refresh before entering your information.

If you are fully vaccinated you will receive an approved vaccine passport through the app and you will be permitted to attend Laurier’s Brantford or Waterloo campuses, or other locations, including in Kitchener, Toronto and Milton. Even if you are fully vaccinated you will still be required to conduct a daily COVID self-assessment and follow Laurier’s health and safety protocols and policies. Note that information will only be collected, used and retained as required to fulfil COVID requirements and access will be limited to key individuals in the university.

5. If you are not yet fully vaccinated, your vaccine passport will be denied and you will
   be entered into the university’s Rapid Testing Program, during the transition period until you are fully vaccinated. The program will include an educational component about the COVID-19 vaccines and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination and will require you to conduct regular testing and confirm your negative test results before attending any university location. Full details about rapid testing requirements and processes, which will be supported by the university, will be shared with you directly if you have not been fully vaccinated. Note that information will only be collected, used and retained as required to fulfil COVID requirements and access will be limited to key individuals in the university.
6. You may request an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement due to medical reasons or grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Assessment of the exemption requests will be completed by Human Resources for employees and the Wellness Centre or Dean of Students’ Office for students. You will be required to fill out the appropriate request for exemption form through the app under the COVID-19 Resources section. Note that during your exemption period, you will be entered into the university’s Rapid Testing Program, which will require you to conduct regular testing and confirm your results before attending any university location. Full details about rapid testing requirements and processes will be shared with you directly. Note that information will only be collected, used and retained as required to fulfil COVID requirements and access will be limited to key individuals in the university.
7. Familiarize yourself with Laurier’s self-assessment and health and safety policies and procedures and 12 ways Laurier is planning for a safe return to campus this fall. Regardless of vaccination status, all members of the Laurier community will be required to complete daily COVID self-assessments through the SAFEHawk app before attending any university location and will be required to follow all health and safety protocols and policies, including our face-covering policy.

Information for visitors will be shared as confirmed.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the health and safety of our Laurier community as we move forward together. For full details and updates, please visit wlu.ca/recovery.