What you need to know as Ontario declares State of Emergency April 8, 2021

As the province enters a new state of emergency and issues a stay-at-home order, there are likely some questions about what it means for the McMaster community.

Given the restrictions already in place at the university, and with most people already working and learning remotely, the impact on campus and its operations is minimal.

The new provincewide restrictions come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and will remain in place for a month.

It is more important than ever that those who can work from home do work from home. For those whose work requires them come to campus, it is important that they adhere to all of the existing strict protocols. Any areas that had provided special approval to access campus should revisit those plans now that the province is requiring everyone to stay at home except for essential purposes.

Anyone approved to come to campus or a McMaster facility must complete the provincial COVID-19 screening tool no more than one hour in advance of coming to campus and send confirmation of passing the screening to a supervisor, faculty member or instructor or key contact at the university.

Those who are working on campus are reminded to remain vigilant about the safety rules at all times.

All McMaster students, faculty and staff are reminded to use the self-reporting tool in Mosaic to report a confirmed COVID-19 test result or when referred for COVID-19 testing or self-isolation. This tool is confidential and helps the university track confirmed cases on campus and ensure appropriate cleaning and safety protocols are put into place promptly.

Supervisors are reminded to be flexible during this time, particularly with the possibility of schools and daycare centres tightening restrictions and even closing due to outbreaks.

A reminder to go to Hamilton Public Health for information on testing and vaccination.