Each campus administration presented a contingency plan on Monday, March 16. The aim is to allow as many staff members to work from home and to ensure the continuity of essential services. Your campus manager will contact you directly.

Yes!

Canada Emergency Response Benefit

The Canadian government is in the process of implementing an Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The government states that “all Canadians who have ceased working due to COVID-19, whether they are EI-eligible or not, would be able to receive the CERB to ensure they have timely access to the income support they need”.

“The government is working to get money into the pockets of Canadians as quickly as possible. The portal for accessing the CERB would be available in early April. EI eligible Canadians who have lost their job can continue to apply for EI here, as can Canadians applying for other EI benefits. Canadians would begin to receive their CERB payments within 10 days of application. The CERB would be paid every four weeks and be available from March 15, 2020 until October 3, 2020.”

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit will be accessible via a secure web portal in early April. An automated telephone line and a toll-free number will also be available to applicants.

For more information, here are the links available for the federal government site regarding the Canadian emergency benefit:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/introduces-canada-emergency-response-benefit-to-help-workers-and-businesses.html 

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19individuals.html#new_canada_emergency_response_benefit 

Have a great day, and stay safe.

Good afternoon,

See below for the updated schedule of activities. Please note that the winter CE surveys have been cancelled.

Have a great week!

Good afternoon,

Collège Boréal has been operating remotely since the beginning of this week. While the situation is less than ideal, and our campuses and sites have become quiet, we can take solace in having resumed instruction in alternative delivery methods. In those cases where we have yet to find a solution, all concerned departments continue to work diligently to do so.

As of tomorrow, you will no longer receive general daily communications from us, but we will continue to keep you informed as the situation evolves.

Your supervisors and professors remain the main source for additional information regarding your department or program.

Students can ask questions at the following email address: covid19@collegeboreal.ca.

Staff members can also contact the Human Resources Department by email: ressources.humaines@collegeboreal.ca.

Additional resources are also available:

– The COVID-19 page on Boréal’s website;

– The FAQ section on Boréal’s website;

– The Ontario Government’s Symptom Self-Assessment page

– The Ontario Government’s Coronavirus General Information page

Have a great day, and take care.

Good afternoon,

Since yesterday, we have begun delivering our courses through alternative methods at all our campuses. Making the transition in such a limited time frame has proven to be a major challenge, but thanks to your efforts and commitment, we have succeeded in ensuring the alternative delivery of 100% of the courses listed on the schedule as of yesterday. We can be proud of this accomplishment, which allows us to pursue our educational mission without compromising the academic calendar, despite the exceptional conditions we are facing.

Yesterday was also marked by the announcement of new provincial measures to counter the spread of the virus. These new measures do not affect the temporary remote operations we have implemented at Collège Boréal.

Please see the following service delivery table for the most recent updates

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Given the number of HR-related questions we have received, we have updated our FAQ for staff (in French only for now). For additional questions, please contact the Human Resources Department at: ressources.humaines@collegeboreal.ca.

The FAQ for students has been updated on the Collège Boréal website.

Thank you for your cooperation and have a nice day.

We would like to inform you of the upcoming complete closure of all our sites and campuses and of the widespread implementation of working remotely for college staff members.

Attention to all: Site closures as of March 23

Our campuses and sites that currently remain open, but with severely limited access, will continue to do so until the end of the day tomorrow. Now is the time to pick up any personal belongings you will need during the pandemic.

Our campuses, sites, and immigration/employability training centres will be closed to clients and employees as of Monday, March 23. In extremely limited circumstances, it may be possible to access to the Sudbury campus after that date.

To staff members: Phase 2 of working remotely

As of tomorrow, Collège Boréal will roll out the second phase of its remote work plan. As such, most staff (with a few exceptions) will no longer have access to our sites and campuses. Those affected by this plan have been or are in the process of being notified by their supervisor. Supervisors are responsible for communicating all the necessary information to allow their team members to work remotely. We encourage you to bring home all the materials you will need. If you have not been asked to return to your place of work, you will no longer be permitted to work from campus.

The response to the coronavirus crisis is in constant evolution. In accordance with the directives issued by the various departments that govern the services offered by Collège Boréal, and following the most recent discussions at the College’s executive level, please be advised of the following updates with regard to our services for the coming days. 

As a security measure, Collège Boréal sites and campuses that remain open are only accessible through one entrance.

For College Faculty Members:

The Center for Leadership and Educational Innovation (CLIP) at Collège Boréal has set up a microsite to centralize administrative resources and support for professors.

We thank you for your collaboration.

Good morning,

This morning the Ontario government declared a State of Emergency for the province. Having implemented large-scale prevention measures since the end of last week, this new measure has no additional impact on College operations.

Nevertheless, the impact is significant on everyone’s daily life: with immediate effect, gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited throughout the province until March 31, restaurants (with the exception of take-out and home delivery), bars, libraries, cinemas, theatres, and other establishments are closed until March 31.

Collège Boréal continues to organize its operations given these exceptional circumstances to ensure the safety of students and staff while maintaining, as much as possible, the continuity of services.

Here are the points we would like to highlight this morning:

We understand that current circumstances are causing some confusion with regards to student placements in laboratories. We are working on the issue and will get back to you as soon as possible. Most solutions have been identified on a case-by-case basis;
Students will be informed on Friday of alternative course delivery methods, which will start on Monday, March 23. We invite students who do not have access to a computer and/or Internet to advise their program coordinator immediately, or campus manager/director;
In order to limit traffic on all college campuses, we will limit entry and exit to one access point only. An access plan for each campus will be shared by the end of the day;
Course and Environment (CE) surveys planned for this week have been postponed.
For College staff exclusively:

Staff members from all campuses and sites have begun to work remotely since this morning. We thank everyone, particularly our IT Department, for facilitating this rapid transition. We understand that there are still procedures to implement, and we are committed to resolving specific issues as soon as possible;
The Vice-president – Academics will issue a memo to faculty and program staff this afternoon regarding the plan for implementing alternative course delivery methods, which will take effect on Monday, March 23;
Staff will not be required to get a doctor’s note if they show COVID-19 symptoms until further notice. If you experience symptoms, it is important to tell your supervisor.
Once again, we thank you for your cooperation. Exercise prudence.

Thank you.

ATTENTION: Toronto’s Collège Boréal campus is closed until further noticed due to a confirmed COVID-19 case with a member of staff.

____________________________________________________

SOCIAL DISTANCING ADVISED BY PUBLIC HEALTH TO LIMIT SPREAD OF COVID-19
Issued: Monday, March 16, 2020

In light of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is ramping up its recommendations to the community to prevent local spread. These recommendations include more specific guidelines aimed at distancing people from each other and reducing the opportunity for the virus to spread from person to person.

“For greater benefit, it is important to implement social distancing measures early, even before there is evidence of local community spread,” said Dr. Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “There is a need to find a balance between the inconveniences and life changes that will occur with social distancing and their effectiveness in reducing disease transmission,” said Dr. Sutcliffe.

While there is not currently any evidence of community spread locally, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is taking timely action to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and slow the rate of disease spread. Public Health indicates that communities should not wait too long to take this action – saying that waiting until community transmission is confirmed, is likely too late to be of maximal benefit.

“In the context of COVID-19, the goal of social distancing is to ensure that we don’t all get sick at the same time. As we have seen in other countries, when this happens, the health care system and other critical services are overwhelmed,” said Dr. Sutcliffe. “Despite causing mild illness in most people, the COVID-19 virus can have a more severe impact on the health of older members of our communities and on those with underlying chronic health conditions,” she added.

This is what we mean by social distancing
If you are experiencing symptoms, stay home. If you are not experiencing symptoms, but have had close contact with a confirmed case or have had recent travel outside of the country, stay home.
Limit contact with vulnerable individuals, such as those who are at higher risk of negative health impacts (individuals who are ill or have poor health, elderly people, etc.). For example, avoid visits to long-term care homes, retirement homes, supportive housing, hospices, and other congregate care settings unless your visit is essential. Vulnerable individuals should also limit their exposure to crowded places.
This also means separating from others and, if you are at higher risk, avoiding contact with those who might be more likely to transmit the disease, such as small children. Follow childcare guidance provided by Public Health regarding providing childcare during COVID-19 pandemic.
Avoid crowded spaces and stay two metres apart from others when you will be in public areas for more than 15 minutes.
If possible, limit or consider cancelling group gatherings. Gatherings with over 250 people should not occur.
Avoiding physical contact with others (for example, no handshakes).
Ask your employer about options to work from home, if possible. If you have meetings planned, consider doing them virtually instead of in person.
Whenever possible, spend time outside and in settings where people can maintain a two metre (6 feet) of distance from each other.
These guidelines do NOT mean “you must stay in your home.” Social distancing does not have to mean social isolation. Connecting with others using the key points above means that you can safely interact with others, if even virtually. For example, you can connect using technology or go outside to take a walk.

Remember: While you may not feel sick, and while we know these measures are significant, please be mindful of the members of our community who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others. We are all in this together.

Find important COVID-19 information at www.phsd.ca/COVID-19:

Social distancing
How to monitor your health
How to self-isolate
How to care for someone who is ill
Guidance for travellers, employers, health care providers, childcare programs, and schools
How to prepare
COVID-19 Assessment Centre: Health Sciences North
Health Sciences North (HSN) is running a COVID-19 Assessment Centre.
Clients MUST call 705.671.7373 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days per week and are directed to NOT present at HSN’s Emergency Department.
The Assessment Centre is by appointment only. Walk-ins will not be seen.
Not everyone who attends the clinic will be tested.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts call centre – for general information about COVID-19
Call 705.522.9200 (Press 1), toll-free 1.866.522.9200.
Availability: during regular business hours, and extended hours on evenings and weekends (subject to change based on call volumes).
Callers can leave messages and Public Health staff will call back within 24 hours, unless extenuating circumstances.
Symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe and include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing (shortness of breath). Complications from the COVID-19 can include serious conditions, like pneumonia or kidney failure, and in some cases, death.

IMPORTANT: If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200). Be sure to mention your symptoms and your travel history, including the countries you visited.

If you are ill and must visit a health care professional, call ahead and tell them if you have a respiratory illness. If you need immediate medical attention, call 911 and mention your travel history and symptoms.

At this time, the virus is not circulating locally. However, this is a rapidly changing situation requiring that our agency, community, and individuals be prepared for the potential wider spread of the infection in the community.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and Public Health is committed to interpreting and communicating local, provincial, and federal guidance.

Visit phsd.ca/COVID-19 for information about social distancing, how you can prepare for the spread of COVID-19, how to monitor your health, how to self-isolate, and what to do if you think you are sick. For additional information, please call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200). The Public Health COVID-19 website has personal preparedness information, specific guidance for employers, guidance for schools and childcare programs, travel information, guidance for health care providers, and additional COVID-19 resources.

____________________________________________________

Message from the COOP (SUDBURY)

The Coopérative Boréal (COOP) is implementing service changes in response to the COVID-19 situation.

 Cafeteria hours will be from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the week of March 16 to March 20, 2020. We want to offer food services for those who are at the College.

 Bookstore hours will be from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday this week, and from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20. We are responsible for ordering textbooks and distributing them to Boréal campuses. The bookstore also provides food to customers when the cafeteria is closed.

 With the closure of campus facilities and the cancellation of special events until April 5, catering services are currently available until at least April 6.

 For students in residence, the cafeteria and the bookstore will be open according to the above-mentioned operating hours. Students in residence who have a meal or service plan are asked to contact us as a preventative measure (in the event of a future closure of the cafeteria). We recognize that the current situation is evolving rapidly; there are likely more changes to come.

 Thank you.

 Jean Huneault

COOP Executive Director

____________________________________________________

 Following the preventive measures to suspend classes taken on Friday in the face of the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, Collège Boréal remained mobilized this weekend to monitor the situation and organize operations for the coming week.

The situation is changing rapidly. We are committed to providing a status update every morning.

To date, we can confirm the following:

The Toronto campus is now closed until further notice after confirming one of its employees tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
The executive team is meeting this morning to organize for staff to work remotely. We will encourage employees at all campuses to work from home. Some services will be designated essential, and there will be employee turnover in these areas. Each campus/site is a little different, so we must work on a case-by-case basis.
Post-secondary classes are suspended for this week, except for online courses.
All online courses are taking place.
In principle courses will resume in alternative delivery modes on Monday, March 23.
We remind you that in case of symptoms (i.e. headache, runny nose, cough, sore throat, slight shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain), it is imperative to self-isolate. In the case of more severe respiratory symptoms, please contact local health services immediately for safe and secure treatment.

Faced with this situation, we thank you for the flexibility you have shown and for your resilience. We make every effort to ensure everyone’s safety by taking all the appropriate and proportionate measures necessary.

Thank you for your collaboration.

Collège Boréal has been actively monitoring the development of the coronavirus pandemic since January and preparing to deal with it. All of our decisions is made in accordance with the recommendations of federal, provincial and local authorities.

This week was marked by an increased number of COVID-19 infections in Ontario and the rest of Canada.

In an effort to fight the spread of the virus, all post-secondary education classes, continuing education courses and language training offered at Collège Boréal campuses are suspended from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. (Please see the table on the following page for full details.)

These are preventive measures. No cases of COVID-19 have been detected at Collège Boréal. The College remains open and Boréal staff members should continue to report to work as usual, unless they present symptoms. Please contact your supervisor if you require accommodation.

Protecting students, teachers and all staff is our priority. Faced with the pandemic, our collective responsibility in the days to come is crucial: social distancing has proven effective wherever it has been implemented.

We understand that this decision creates challenges for many of you and raises important questions regarding the academic year. Our teams are working diligently to minimize the impact of this decision on the academic calendar. We will work to continue the normal course of the academic year.

We will contact you next week regarding the resumption of classes using alternate delivery methods.

For additional information, please visit the College’s COVID-19 web page. If you have any questions, please email them to covid19@collegeboreal.ca.

Thank you for your full cooperation in these challenging times.

Following a confirmed case of Coronavirus in Sudbury from a person who participated in the PDAC mining conference in Toronto from March 1 to 4, the seven staff members of Collège Boréal who took part in the conference have voluntarily placed themselves in quarantine at home as a preventive measure. None of them have presented symptoms related to COVID-19.

At this stage, Collège Boréal has made the following preventive decisions:

All public activities organized by the College are cancelled. Please contact concerned partners and members of the public regarding planned activities in the coming days.
Boréal employees and students are discouraged to take part in large public activities or gatherings.
All international trips involving staff members and students are cancelled as well as domestic trips where public transportation is required (e.g. train, plane).
Regular activities of the College (e.g. courses, clinics, etc.) are maintained.
These decisions have been made as a preventative measure only to help contain the spread of the virus.

It is everyone’s responsibility to help contain the spread of the virus:

Wash and disinfect your hands regularly

It is the simplest and most effective gesture against the virus. Wash your hands every hour with soapy water and after touching shared surfaces such as doorknobs or objects handled by different people.

Use disinfectant when you don’t have access to soap and water.

Please follow the attached hand-washing and disinfection protocol and avoid touching your face if you have not washed your hands.

Stay home in self-isolation from the onset of symptoms or upon contact with the virus

If you have common COVID-19 symptoms (i.e. headache, runny nose, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain), behave as you would if you had a cold or the flu: just stay home.

If a case has been confirmed in your entourage, go into quarantine and notify the College as soon as possible.

Don’t put extra strain on the hospital

Even if you present common symptoms of the virus, there isn’t much point in trying to get tested or going to the hospital. By doing so, you could put extra strain on health services. In addition, if you are infected, you could pass the virus on to more vulnerable people or to caregivers.

In case of severe symptoms (e.g. high fever, difficulty breathing), contact public health services by telephone before going to the emergency room in order to comply with treatment protocols.

Don’t panic

With accelerating international mobility, COVID-19 is spreading more easily around the world. However, the risks associated with Coronavirus remain low. Over 80% of those infected experience no symptoms or only mild symptoms. Among the most serious cases, the mortality rate remains very low.

That said, responsible action must be taken to contain the virus as quickly as possible and protect the most vulnerable population in the event of infection, namely the elderly and people with chronic diseases (i.e. diabetes, cancer, cardiac, renal or pulmonary diseases).

Thank you for your collaboration.