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Due to new COVID-19 cases on campus, rising cases in the region, and the arrival of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant in New Brunswick, important and proactive health and safety changes are being made to campus operations.

The University is also reporting one new case of COVID-19 in a member of the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Allison community off campus. That brings the current total to five cases — all individuals involved are currently self-isolating.

The following changes will be effective Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 8 a.m.:

• No in-person exams — All December examinations from Dec. 15-18 will either be online, postponed, or cancelled. Each professor will determine the exam format and communicate with students directly. Students scheduled to write exams on campus beginning Wednesday, Dec. 15 should wait for instruction from their professor. All previously scheduled online exams can proceed as planned.  
   
• Students who can now return home for the holiday break should do so as soon as possible — Completing rapid testing before leaving campus is strongly encouraged to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
   
• Employees who can work remotely should do so — Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to work from home where possible and to be prepared to do so until the new year. Employees should contact their supervisor to make immediate arrangements to ensure a seamless transition, especially in all support service areas.
   
• Residences remain open to support students — Students who can return home are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Residence will continue to support students in self-isolation. All students in residence are strongly encouraged to complete rapid testing. Test kits will be delivered to all residences later today.
   
• Dining services — Jennings Dining Hall will remain open to support remaining residence students, though hours of operations will be significantly reduced and stations will no longer be self-serve. Residence students will receive more information directly from Housing Services. Gracie’s and The Pond will close as of Wednesday until further notice.
   
• Library and all student services moving online — Library access and student affairs offices will move online. The library will be closed for in-person use until the new year. Please contact student service departments directly for more information. The campus updates page will be updated as changes are made.
   
• Research spaces can remain open — All appropriate safety precautions such as masking, handwashing, and distancing should be followed.
   
• No in-person events — All remaining December events will either be online, postponed, or cancelled. Please check with event organizers for further details. 
   
• Fitness Centre and Athletic Centre — Athletics facilities are closed until further notice.
   
• Owens Art Gallery — The gallery will be closed further notice.
   
• Campus access restricted — Campus buildings remain open to students, faculty, and staff only, until further notice.

In light of these changes, please be extra cautious when moving about campus:

• wear a mask indoors and outdoors, as much as possible
• practise physical distancing indoors and outdoors
• limit your number of contacts
• continue to practice good hand hygiene and sanitizing practices
• if you’re experiencing symptoms

Implementing regular asymptomatic rapid testing is recommended. If you are not experiencing symptoms or deemed a close contact of a positive case, you can pick up rapid test kits:

• at the MASU Office or Wellness Centre in the Student Centre
• every Tuesday at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre parking lot between 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Thank you for your flexibility in the face of rapid change. As more is learned about the COVID landscape on campus and in the region, more changes may be made for the winter term. These will be communicated as soon as determined, with the goal of providing as much advance notice as possible.

The most up-to-date information can be found at mta.ca/campus-updates and any questions can be directed to covid19@mta.ca