Masks will be optional for students, staff and faculty at SFU following the provincial dropping of the mandate.
On Thursday (March 10), provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced masks would no longer be mandatory in all indoor public spaces as of 12:01 a.m. on March 11.
Shortly after Henry's announcement, Simon Fraser University said masks will be "a matter of personal choice" going forward unless public health orders reinstate mandatory mask-wearing.
"At SFU, we encourage mask use on our campuses at this time, and particularly in spaces where we are in close proximity," Simon Fraser University Academic and Provost Vice President Dr. Catherine Dauvergne said in a statement.
"Please be understanding and compassionate of people’s individual circumstances and individual choices about masks as we continue to cultivate a community of care. We anticipate that many members of our community will continue to prefer to wear masks in indoor spaces."
SFU's counterpart, UBC, announced it will be requiring masks to be worn in indoor public spaces at both campuses until the end of the 2021/22 winter semester on April 30, 2022.
"We urge all members of our community to receive their COVID-19 vaccine booster dose," a release from the school said.
"As we approach spring, we would also like to thank our students, faculty and staff for their commitment to the university. Let’s continue to support one another, and create a safe environment for all members of the UBC community."
TransLink, BC Transit say masks won't be mandatory
Masks will no longer be mandatory while riding either of B.C.'s major public transit providers after health officials announced the repeal of the provincial mask mandate.
TransLink says it will align with the new guidelines announced by Dr. Bonnie Henry but will still continue its mandatory mask policy for customers and employees on HandyDART.
"TransLink is following the guidance of British Columbia’s provincial health officer," a release states.
"We are also working closely with Transport Canada and WorkSafeBC to ensure we are meeting all safety and regulatory requirements across all modes of our transit system."
TransLink adds customers and employees are still welcome to wear masks while on-board its vehicles and at transit stations, depending on their own level of comfort.
The company also says customers might notice mandatory mask-related signage on the system even after the order is lifted as it will take time for crews to finish removing signs.
In a statement to the NOW, BC Transit says it will also align its policies with the province and masks will no longer be required, adding it supports riders who choose to continue to wear face coverings.
"Safety is our top priority," the company states.
"BC Transit will take the appropriate steps necessary to ensure our return to pre-pandemic service is done safely for our employees and customers. We continue at this time to have other COVID-19 safety policies in place, such as enhanced cleaning and sanitization on buses and at BC Transit facilities, protective barriers for transit operators, and one-way flow of passengers on board the buses."
When asked at a news briefing if transit companies could still require masks to be mandatory, Henry said workplaces that feel it is important to keep COVID-19 pandemic safety measures in place would be able to do so.
"Some places may feel that it's important for their workers to be protected for various reasons. And they can require mask-wearing," she explained.
"Those environments where we were requiring to have multiple different layers of protection, we no longer need all of those layers to be mandated all of the time."
Respect others and their decision around mask use: Henry
Henry also announced B.C.'s post-secondary residence vaccine requirement would be lifted on April 8 — the same day the province is ending the vaccine card.
And while masks will no longer be mandated, she still encourages wearing masks in settings where people are in close quarters.
Henry asked British Columbians to respect people's comfort levels.
"We all have our own risk, and we may not be aware of the risks of those around us... We need to be respectful about people's choices to keep their gatherings small or to stay outside rather than inside."
She said people should continue to monitor themselves for symptoms, stay home if they're feeling unwell, get tested, wash their hands and get their booster if they haven't already done so.
She added B.C. is moving from a mandated approach to an empowered, self-management approach, citing that people now know the basics of being COVID-19 safe.
With files from Carol Eugene Park, Glacier Media
