Dear IAHLA Member Institutes,

On April 26, 2022, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training sent the following COVID-19 update to public post-secondary institutions in BC. We are sharing this information with IAHLA institutes in case it is useful for planning purposes.

Shift to Provincial Post-Secondary Public Health Guidance from the BCCDC:

Now that BC’s public post-secondary institutions have returned to campuses, guided by the COVID-19 Return-to-Campus Guidelines and individual institutions’ communicable disease plans, the Return-to-Campus Guidelines will be retired. Please note that:

  • The BCCDC’s Post-Secondary Public Health Guidance document will continue to provide public health specific guidance for post-secondary institutions.
  • The focus remains on continued safety on campuses including:
    • Information on the importance of vaccinations and boosters.
    • Personal measures to reduce transmission and manage COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
    • Testing, isolation and treatment options and available resources at the BCCDC website.
    • Updates will be made based on public health recommendations.
  • The Ministry continues to work in partnership with institutions, the BCCDC, the Office of the Provincial Health Officer, regional health authorities, and experts from BC’s post-secondary sector to support the continued delivery of on-campus instruction.

FNESC and IAHLA fully respect the authority of individual First Nations to make decisions about their post-secondary and adult institute operations in the best interests of their students, institutes, and communities.

We hope that you find this information helpful. We will continue to share information as it becomes available.

For additional COVID-19 updates and resources, please visit www.fnesc.ca/covid19.