Yesterday, January 20th, York University announced their plan to implement a phased return to in-person classes between January 31st and February 14th. The CUPE 3903 executive committee takes the position that this plan is disruptive and truly harmful, putting the administration’s desire for a rushed campus return over the safety and mental health of the York community.
We are all educators, and many of us are students. There is no denying the value of in-person learning and the importance of community engagement. We also recognize the efforts of instructors and staff who continue to provide quality learning remotely and our ongoing struggle to fight isolation where it is necessary to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe. Some sacrifices are worth it when the consequences are measured in lives.
Despite what President Rhonda Lenton claimed at the January 21st town hall, Omicron is not a mild virus. Its highly infectious nature means that even if fewer people get severely ill proportionally, more people will become sick – many seriously ill – as already reflected in the rising hospitalization and ICU rates. It is also too early to say with any confidence that Omicron will lead to fewer cases of “long COVID,” a set of medium to long-term conditions that affect a significant number of people who have been infected with the virus.
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