Masking
We encourage our community to wear a mask indoors, especially in classrooms, libraries, crowded spaces or close workspaces. Masks are still required in some settings, such as hospitals.
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A good mask should have sufficient filtration capability, should be easy to breathe through and should fit close to the person’s face. Different types of masks are appropriate for different settings, situations, and personal preference. While an N95 is appropriate for some hospital settings, which are higher risk, a triple layer cloth mask, can be an effective option for areas such as the grocery store.
The mask fit is critically important. We can take a good quality mask such as the surgical masks and by not ensuring a good fit with the face of the wearer create gaps through which majority of the air will flow and significantly increase the number of particles that could be breathed in.
For N95 a fit testing is typically done to ensure the right design and size of the mask is being used for that particular individual. For surgical masks also, choosing the right size, or adapting it to fit (see below), and ensuring that the fit at the nose region is ensured by adjusting the nose clip appropriately is important.
The filtration property of the material, including the charge that is applied to N95s and CaN95s, should not deteriorate with wear. For community use, masks or N95/CaN95s should be dried between uses and discarded if soiled externally or soiled with mucus inside.
Reporting & Isolation
If you are feeling unwell, stay home. While daily MacCheck is not required, community members must use the provincial self-assessment screening tool if you or someone you live with has symptoms or tests positive for COVID. Staff and faculty members must continue to report confirmed cases of COVID through Mosaic, as required by provincial workplace regulations.
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If you feel ill, please do not come to campus. You’re also encouraged to follow guidelines for isolation and testing outlined by the provincial government.
If employees test positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test or a PCR test and have attended a McMaster location in the past 14 days, complete the COVID-19 Positive Case Reporting Tool in Mosaic.
Students are no longer required to report cases, but learners in health professional programs should check with their program offices for instructions on reporting to placement locations.
COVID-19 reporting protocols for faculty and staff can be found here.
Public reporting of COVID cases on the Back to Mac website continues to be paused.
Provided by Public Health Ontario, see the recommended self-isolation steps for caregivers, household members and close contacts.
- If the provincial COVID-19 self-assessment tool indicates that isolating is required, follow the province’s current isolation guidelines, which are provided in the tool. Ontario Public Health has also provided guidance on how to isolate.
- If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (even with a negative rapid antigen test or PCR test) you are still expected to follow the isolation recommendations you receive from the Provincial COVID-19 self-assessment tool.
- Students are encouraged to use the McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF) through Mosaic if their screening results recommend that they isolate and are not permitted to come to campus. The MSAF is available in Mosaic by navigating to the student centre and clicking the drop-down menu under ‘other academics.’
- Students will be able to access any additional MSAF forms through their Faculty Academic Advising Office if they need to miss additional class time due to illness, isolation or other personal reasons.
- You may find yourself in a situation where you are directed to isolate after completing a self-assessment through the MacCheck and provincial screening tool.
- If you are feeling well enough to teach, you may need to temporarily pivot to virtual or remote teaching.
- If you are not well enough to teach, you can choose to cancel or defer your class and follow normal absence reporting protocols.
- Please communicate promptly and clearly to your students on Avenue to Learn through the various channels so they are aware if the class will be offered virtually, deferred or cancelled. In addition, please keep your department chair informed.
- When isolation is required, please see McMaster guidance for workplace arrangements for more information.
- Department leaders and supervisors have been provided with information about how to support faculty and staff members who require isolation or are unwell.
- If you are not well enough to work, you should review the absence provisions in accordance with your collective agreement or employment terms and follow normal absence reporting protocols.
- If remote work is available and you are well enough, your leader may enable and support remote work.
- If remote work is not possible, or if you are not well enough to work, follow normal absence reporting protocols. When isolation is required, please see McMaster guidance for workplace arrangements for more information.
- Leaders and supervisors have been provided with information about how to support faculty and staff members who require isolation or are unwell.
There are also resources available to support employee wellbeing and mental health, including Employee Well-being sessions, Employee and Family Assistance Program and the Mental Health Matters website.
Vaccination
While our vaccination mandate continues to be paused, we encourage students, faculty and staff to keep up to date with their COVID vaccinations. MacCheck now offers the ability to upload proof of vaccination documentation for your full series of COVID-19 vaccines as well as any additional booster doses you have received.
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While our vaccination mandate continues to be paused, we encourage students, faculty and staff to keep up to date with their COVID vaccinations. MacCheck now offers the ability to upload proof of vaccination documentation for your full series of COVID-19 vaccines as well as any additional booster doses you have received.
- The University no longer requires new hires to be fully vaccinated and will stop requesting proof of vaccination or a human rights-based exemptions for employees.
- McMaster host hospital and health partners will continue to have their own COVID policies and protocols and these need to be followed by faculty, staff and learners who attend these locations.
- Should it become necessary in future to resume the Policy, all community members will continue to need to demonstrate alignment to the Policy requirements at that time.
Students, staff and faculty members can visit Hamilton Public Health’s website to find information about where to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the community at a clinic, pop-up clinic, or participating pharmacy today.
Physical distancing
Physical distancing is no longer mandatory in university settings.
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Physical distancing is no longer mandatory in university settings. As a best practice to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, consider physical distancing where possible and/or attempt to give space to others.
Training
New students, faculty and staff are required to complete COVID-19 awareness training, available at this link.
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COVID-19 training content remains available and all members of the McMaster community are asked to review this training for the most relevant health & safety information. This information is available here.
Faculty members and staff can go to Employee Health Services if you have accommodation or accessibility needs.
Students can go to Student Accessibility Services if you if you have accommodation or accessibility needs.
Cleaning
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McMaster’s team of custodians vigorously cleans high touchpoint surfaces at an increased frequency. Teams clean classrooms and lecture halls daily. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are available in classrooms. Public washrooms are cleaned twice daily at a minimum. Meeting spaces are cleaned daily and offices are cleaned once per week. Find our cleaning standards online.
Custodial Services will clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, like door handles and light switches, in high traffic areas with increased frequency.
Custodians clean classrooms and lecture halls daily. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are available in classrooms and lecture halls.
Public washrooms will be cleaned twice daily at a minimum.
Common spaces like libraries are cleaned daily on the days they are open and eateries are cleaned daily. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are available.
Meeting spaces are cleaned daily and offices are cleaned once per week.
Ventilation
Ventilation is an important component of our COVID health strategy. The high standards for air quality that were established last year continue to be maintained.
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Most buildings on campus have HVAC systems that are designed with air re-circulation. However, considering COVID-19 safety, we have deviated from what the systems are originally designed for and have changed our operations to maximize outside fresh air and minimize return air in all our campus HVAC systems. Where air re-circulation exists, McMaster installed MERV-13 filters and will replace these filters more frequently. Some indoor areas, for example some laboratories, have 100 per cent fresh air as per original design.
McMaster has installed high standard air filters (called MERV-13 air filters) in all buildings where air is recirculated prior to the fall 2022 term. A MERV-13 filter has a higher capture efficiency than a normal filter and can help remove finer particles from the air that recirculates through the system. Filters will also be replaced more frequently.
All McMaster classrooms and lecture halls have been assessed to ensure they meet ventilation requirements as outlined in ASHRAE 62.1. Standard 62.1 outlines minimum ventilation rates and other measures intended to provide indoor air quality that is acceptable to human occupants and that minimize adverse health effects.
Though all of our current operational classroom inventory meets or exceeds Public Health guidelines, McMaster further enhanced our ventilation plan to ensure all lecture theatres and classrooms on campus meet a minimum six equivalent air changes per hour (eACH), a standard considered ideal by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Healthy Buildings for Health guidelines.
This list indicates which classrooms and lecture halls on campus meet 6 eACH and actions taken. For classrooms do not meet our minimum standard of six equivalent air changes per hour (eACH), McMaster is:
- Changing operations or equipment to increase air flow.
- Equipping the space with appropriate standalone high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units to increase equivalent air changes. The number of HEPA units and sizes were selected for each room in order to meet 6 eACH.
The vast majority of McMaster’s buildings on campus have mechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. McMaster has created a list of all buildings on campus, indicating if they have mechanical ventilation systems or are naturally ventilated (do not have mechanical ventilation).
There are five out of 56 buildings on campus that do not have a mechanical ventilation system. There are plans to install standalone high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units in each of these five buildings:
- University Hall (bldg. 1)
- Edwards’ Hall Residence (bldg 5)
- Alumni House (bldg 7)
- Refectory (bldg 4) – 2nd floor only
- Alumni Memorial Hall (bldg 8) – Great Hall (Room 102) and the 2nd floor
Installing standalone high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units in buildings that do not have a mechanical ventilation system is what the government of Ontario has recommended for learning environments and what ASHRAE has advised for the reopening of colleges and universities.
See the next accordion for more information about installing standalone HEPA filter units in administrative or academic office spaces in the five buildings that are not mechanically ventilated.
Only offices in the five buildings on campus that do not have mechanical ventilation can be fitted with standalone high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter unit.
Find a full list of campus buildings by ventilation type here.
Supervisors must contact Facility Services by emailing FSUtilitiesClerk@mcmaster.ca to inform them about plans to occupy the offices or meeting spaces in these buildings. Utility Services will then install standalone high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units. Please allow for 10 days for installation in administrative or academic offices in these buildings.
Additional links and resources
Resources that can help you stay on top of the latest developments.
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Call the province’s toll-free service with questions, concerns or to get health advice.
Find updated numbers of confirmed cases nationally and advice on travel, risk and curbing the spread of COVID-19. Visit the Agency’s website.
Check here for updated numbers on COVID-19 cases in Ontario, as well as information sheets in multiple languages.
This local unit maintains a record of all cases in Hamilton, as well as connections to local resources. Visit Hamilton Public Health’s website.
Updates on travel advisories, health protocols for returning travellers and the number of confirmed cases in Canada. Visit the Global Affairs website.