U Of T Faculty Bashes New COVID-19 Vaccine Policy & Calls It 'Inadequate'
"Yesterday's announcement was misleading and inadequate."
The University of Toronto announced this week that all students who are returning to campus this fall either need to be fully vaccinated or submit a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before their visit.
However, now the U of T Faculty Association (UTFA) is criticizing the announcement and is saying it "does little to ensure a safe return."
According to the faculty, the new COVID-19 plan will require staff and students to "self-declare their vaccination status without any obligation to show proof."
"The communication was nothing more than a repackaging of the same policy that the Administration acknowledged, as late as last week, does not constitute a vaccine mandate," the UTFA stated in an open letter on Thursday. "Yesterday's announcement was misleading and inadequate and does little to ensure a safe return to the University."
"We need U of T to implement specific, measurable, and accountable actions in a clear and unambiguous way," the letter adds.
Meric Gertler, the president of U of T, had previously sent out a letter on August 11, reassuring faculty, librarians, staff, and students that the school had "carefully developed" its COVID-19 protocols, which includes mandatory masks, fully vaccinated students and other safety measures.