Dalhousie University to require full COVID-19 vaccination or regular testing

Dalhousie University will require students, faculty and staff to provide proof of their vaccination status before returning to campus this fall, the school announced Wednesday.

Those who are not fully vaccinated or who choose not to provide proof of vaccination will be required to get tested for COVID-19 twice a week and provide proof of testing.

"As we learn to live with COVID-19 and adapt to the spread of new variants, the Dalhousie community needs to continue to do its part to prioritize our collective safety and well-being as many of us return to campus," said Frank Harvey, the school's provost and vice-president academic, in a news release.

Dalhousie is the latest of Nova Scotia's post-secondary schools to make announcements about vaccine requirements, following others such as the Nova Scotia Community College, Mount Saint Vincentand Saint Mary's.

The university said the policy extends to University of King's College students and other members of the King's community while they are on Dalcampuses.

Any personal information, including information about vaccination status, will be handled in compliance with privacy laws, Dal said in the release.

The school will also ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility concerns will be addressed, it said.

About 95 per cent of more than 10,000 respondents to Dal's vaccine survey said they were, or plan to be, fully vaccinated this fall.

The school said masks will continue to be used on campus through September, and may be extended further into the fall term.