Effective Monday, Sept. 20, Lethbridge College is implementing the Government of Alberta’s Restrictions Exemption Program. This means anyone accessing the Lethbridge College campus will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR or rapid test taken within 72 hours of accessing the campus.
“Our college leadership agreed it is the right decision for our college, our community and our health care system to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “We recognize vaccines as the best defense during the on-going pandemic. Provincial numbers show vaccinations significantly reduce the both the likelihood of catching COVID-19 and the severity of cases in those who do catch it. We recommend everyone in our community who is able to get vaccinated, does so.”
In-person classes and services at Lethbridge College will resume on Monday, with the new requirements in place. Everyone will be required to fill out an attestation form declaring their vaccination status or proof of negative test prior to accessing campus. In the coming weeks, the college will introduce an app that will be able to track the vaccination status of the campus community easily and confidentially.
The college has also announced that vaccinations or a medical exemption will be mandatory to access campus as of Jan. 1, 2022. Negative rapid or PCR tests, or partial vaccinations will no longer be sufficient to access campus.
“We are committed to supporting the health and safety of everyone on our campus and providing a fully-vaccinated environment is a step we can take to enhance everyone’s safety,” says Dr. Burns. “We need to support our health care system and all health care workers – including many of our alumni. These steps will help alleviate the pressure on our health care system, while also supporting our priorities of keeping our entire community healthy and safe; and supporting all efforts to offer classes in-person for the entire semester.”