On Feb. 1, the Pandemic Response and Recovery Team at the University of Saskatchewan released a statement that all classes and research activities would resume in person starting Feb. 7 with additional safety measures in place. 

The initial decision to transition to in-person learning on Jan. 4 was temporarily halted because of the COVID-19 Omicron variant’s emergence, which has caused a record increase in cases in Saskatchewan. According to models by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Omicron cases are forecasted to decline in February — models that the PRT is confident about. 

“We have much more certainty than we did before in terms of modelling data,” said Darcy Marciniuk, chair of USask’s PRT. 

“[It appears] we’ve reached a peak and maybe even beyond the peak [because the] numbers seem to be decreasing.”

With additional safety measures provided by the campus, Marciniuk believes that it is safe to return in person. 

“We’re at a point now where we believe more in-person teaching and learning activity can occur here,” Marciniuk said. 

However, Marciniuk wants to emphasize the effectiveness of the mandates that U of S has implemented, including mask-wearing. 

“[Masks] do work. They’re effective. They’re another tool, another layer of protection,” Marciniuk said. 

At the U of S, the current mask mandate requires people to wear single-use three-ply masks to enter facilities. 

Additionally, the U of S has made vaccines mandatory for anyone over the age of 12 who is attending USask events and activities, including in-person learning and working. Accommodations may be made for specific exceptions, including religious reasons and medical-based disabilities. 

The U of S has been recommending booster shots since Jan. 25 but has not made them mandatory. Marciniuk says that these booster shots provide an “incremental benefit” both for sick individuals combating the effects of COVID-19 and for reducing transmission. 

Despite scrutiny from some that a third dose would be ineffective or unnecessary, Marciniuk says that booster shots are a crucial measure to prevent COVID-19 transmission. 

“Vaccination is a very important part [of preventing COVID-19 transmission]. We did also signal the benefits of booster vaccination and, while it’s been questioned — it’s really unquestion[able] that it is very beneficial,” Marciniuk said. 

Aside from vaccine mandates, another measure that USask is offering for reducing the risk of transmission on campus is rapid antigen testing — a kit that tests for COVID-19 and produces a result in around 15 minutes but is more prone to producing false-negative results than traditional PCR testing. 

Marciniuk says that the U of S will be tracking and reporting case counts from both PCR and rapid antigen testing.

If a person on campus tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to isolate for five days. Close contacts without symptoms are required to test negative to come back on campus, and those with symptoms must self-isolate for 48 hours even if they test negative on a rapid test. 

Marciniuk also says that, in lecture theatres, no food or drink is allowed. To allow people to remove their masks safely, the U of S has designated special spaces for eating and drinking. 

“We’re putting aside some spaces and rooms for people if they do need to eat or drink rather than removing their mask and eating [in] common areas,” Marciniuk said. 

Marciniuk says that he and his team want the U of S to return to in-person teaching while still taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why measures and mandates have been implemented for safety. 

“We’ve been working for some time to try and create an environment where in-person teaching and learning and research activity and things like that can happen with the realities and the challenges and the risks of the pandemic,” he said. 

The in-person transition is taking place almost two years after many U of S students have been studying remotely since March 2020. 

Once in-person learning has returned, the USask PRT will continue meeting with the President’s Executive Council once a month to discuss any changes to COVID-19 safety measures. 

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Annie Liu | Staff Writer

Graphic: Jaymie Stachyruk | Graphics Editor