As of March 11, masks optional and encouraged in indoor spaces, but not required.
To the JIBC community,
JIBC is moving to a “mask-supportive environment” as of 12:01 a.m. on March 11 in alignment with the change to the provincial Face Coverings Order. This means masks are optional and encouraged in indoor spaces, but not required.
Your help is needed as we make this adjustment. Now that the provincial order has been lifted, everyone needs to be allowed to evaluate their personal risk and comfort level regarding their own mask use. Their choice needs to be honoured and respected. Peer pressure (or the perception of it) to ‘not mask’ needs to be actively avoided and managed if observed.
This change is based on the protections we now have with current high vaccination rates, and the fact that effective treatments are now available. Dropping transmission and hospitalization rates reflect this.
As we have throughout the pandemic, we continue to evaluate our specific risks in addition to the public orders. For general campus access, office and desk-based classroom activity, our risk is similar to the general public. For our direct contact simulation activities, where mask-wearing is required during the activity in the ‘real world’ profession – our students will wear equivalent PPE during that activity in training (as we do with all other PPE such as turnout gear or hearing protection including masks). These requirements will be reviewed in each program area.
Please feel free to reach out to safety@jibc.ca with any questions, or if you would like help discussing this change with your team.
Tanya Petreman, CRSP
JIBC Senior Manager, Health, Safety and Emergency Management