Photo Credit: U of T Logo
All gyms and fitness centres are closed, effective October 10th
Emily Allison, Associate News Editor
As Canada battles through the second wave of COVID-19, the University of Toronto (U of T) is taking extra precautions in compliance with new provincial restrictions. Effective as of October 10, the university is closing all gyms and fitness centres, prohibiting seating in dining halls, and limiting social gatherings. All indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people, and all outdoor gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 25 people to maintain social distancing measures.
Just as U of T students were beginning to adjust to the “new normal,” with some students attending socially distanced in-person classes, the daily surges in new positive cases presented challenges to the safety of the entire U of T community. On October 9, Ontario reported 939 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily number yet amid a surge in cases over this month, with cases rising each week. Although in-person classes are exempt from these restrictions, U of T is asking that only courses that require hands-on learning, such as labs and music courses, continue in classroom settings.
“We are asking all faculties and divisions to consider carefully the limited in-person activities that are now taking place on our three campuses to ensure they are essential,” said U of T Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr in an interview with U of T News.
Approximately 90 percent of courses are being offered remotely through virtual learning. In a statement given to the U of T community, Melanie Woodin, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science said, “All undergraduate courses that are currently offered both online and in-person will switch to online-only delivery for the remainder of the Fall 2020 academic term.” Course delivery for the winter 2021 semester still remains somewhat uncertain with most courses gearing for online only delivery. Individual faculties will provide additional information if further decisions are made to move additional courses to completely remote instruction.
