COVID-19 Response

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the Colleges are committed to continuing our work as a vibrant centre of intellectual life while ensuring the safety of our students, faculty, staff and community. We are following all public health guidelines for post-secondary institutions. We at Corpus Christi College and St. Mark's College are grateful for the openness, compassion and strength we have seen as we navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic while striving to maintain a high level of education and sense of community.

If you have any questions at any time, please email or call our Welcome Centre – Information Desk at [email protected] or by calling 604-822-6862 Ext. 111.

Managing COVID-19 cases and potential exposures

The Colleges can minimize COVID-19 cases by continuing to remind people of the public health orders in place and reinforce the importance of vaccination, staying home when feeling sick, and conducting daily health self-assessments. If the Colleges receive confirmation of a COVID-19 case on campus, with exposure to the community, we will share this information.

Out of abundance of caution, we ask that anyone who concerned they may have COVID-19 or been exposed to COVID-19 to monitor themselves for symptoms.
•    To evaluate your next steps, follow guidance from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
•    If you have symptoms related to COVID-19, however mild, self-isolate while you determine your next steps using the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool. Please call ahead and wear a mask when seeking testing.

If you have been identified as a COVID-19 case or close contact, please know that Public Health Authorities will contact you directly and provide further instructions, if needed. Notification of COVID-19 cases, and potential exposures, within our community is managed by public health authorities, not by the Colleges.

If the Colleges are asked by public health authorities to assist in notifying our community members of a confirmed case, we will do so by assisting in the distribution of materials prepared by those public health authorities. Only those identified through contact tracing as “needing to know” will have access to this information. Due to patient confidentiality, the names of cases and close contacts will not be shared unless required for Public Health investigation or decision-making.  

COVID-19 Notification process

Cases of COVID-19, in the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region, continue to be predominantly associated with transmission in social settings. Classroom settings are considered to be lower risk; but for all COVID-19 cases on campus, there are steps taken by Pubic Health to limit transmission:

1.    Public Health follows up every person who tests positive for COVID-19 within 24 hours (they are notified by the lab within hours of the test being completed). They take a detailed history from the person to identify their close contacts during their infectious period. Public Health then reaches out to those close contacts to provide specific actions to prevent spread, such as self-isolation or self-monitoring, depending on the contacts’ vaccination status. A close contact is generally someone who has been near a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes when health and safety measures, such as masks and social distancing, were not in place or were insufficient.

2.    In the case of an infected person having been on campus, those who were not close contacts do not have a substantially increased risk of acquiring COVID-19 in the Public Health assessment. They are not contacted by Public Health and can continue to participate in all of their regular activities.

3.    On occasion, Public Health may reach out to the Colleges for assistance with notification of cases. This occurs when institutional action is required; for instance, when Public Health is not assured that they have a complete list of all direct contacts. The Colleges will not be contacted or informed about every case occurring amongst students, faculty or staff members.

4.    In a more serious outbreak or cluster situation, Public Health has many tools at its disposal. It may direct a school to limit access to buildings, move classes on line, or undertake other measures, depending on the nature of the situation.

Response to COVID-19 reports

Do I need to contact anyone if a student, faculty or staff voluntarily discloses they have COVID-19, or have been instructed to self-isolate by Public Health?

Student Disclosure

If a student informs you that they have been confirmed to have COVID-19, these are the steps that you should take:
      -Inform Dean of Students, Gabriel Pillay ([email protected]) of the case(s). Provide details including the date, time and location the student was on campus.
      -Ensure that the student(s) are provided with concessions and support as required to continue learning whilst unable to attend class.
      -Follow all instructions from Public Health, if directed by them (in most cases, you will not be contacted because Public Health has made all necessary notifications directly).
      -In the case of a more concerning exposure, Public Health may direct the Colleges to move to on-line delivery to support isolation of a class. All contemplated course delivery changes must be discussed with the Deans’ Office, Dean of Students Office, and Registrar’s Office.

Some faculty have expressed concern that they have an obligation to inform others of news that there may have been an exposure, irrespective of Public Health’s management of the situation. In this situation, these are steps that can be taken:
      -If there is a need to provide general information to the class and if the student has given permission to do so, refer the matter to the Dean of Students to provide any general information that may be appropriate.
      -Please contact the COVID-19 Committee for more information and guidance.

Faculty or Staff Disclosure

If a faculty or staff member informs you that they have been confirmed to have COVID-19, these are the steps that you should take:
      -Inform Human Resources Office immediately. 
      -Ensure Faculty and Staff member(s) are provided with support as required.
      -Follow all instructions from Public Health, if directed by them (in most cases, you will not be contacted because Public Health has made all necessary notifications directly and there is nothing more to do).

Current guidance is to stay home if you are symptomatic and use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool to determine next steps. Symptomatic students, faculty and staff must undergo PCR testing at a Vancouver Coastal Health designated site.