Queen’s reports no new cases of COVID-19, seeks clarification on recent lockdown measures

Queen’s has reported no new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Jan. 11 to 17 as of Thursday evening, though it continues to report eight active cases off-campus.

The University has identified a total of 87 cases of COVID-19 in the Queen’s community since Aug. 31, including nine in residence and 78 off-campus. Since the pandemic began, Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health has reported a total of 637 cases in the region.

According to KFL&A Public Health’s dashboard, there are 37 active cases in the region.

READ MORE: COVID-19 testing centre re-opens on campus

The Ontario Government declared a state of emergency on Jan. 12 with new measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in the province. A stay-at-home order took effect on Thursday morning, requiring people to remain in their homes unless they’re an essential worker or in need of health care, groceries, pharmacy services, essential work, or exercise. 

The state of emergency is set to lift on Feb. 10.

In a Jan. 13 statement, the University said it’s “seeking further clarification” about the new measures as it implements them on campus. The statement cites on-campus access as one aspect that remains unclear. 

“Those who perform essential functions that require a physical presence on campus can continue to work on campus, ensuring that they follow all health and safety protocols including face coverings and physical distancing measures,” the University wrote.

READ MORE: Queen’s urges students to avoid Kingston until end of January

In-person instruction continues to be restricted, excluding clinical training. Researchers who have been approved to complete on-site research activity are asked to only visit campus as necessary, while new requests for on-site activity are suspended.

“We will provide further information as soon as we have clarity on the new regulations. In the meantime, anyone who can work from home must do so.”

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