Dear Students,

Today I am writing to you to ask for your help. We are in the middle of a global health crisis, and each of you has an important role to play.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to grow in Canada and around the world, our government and public health officials are asking us to do one simple thing – stay home.

Social distancing is key to helping stop the spread of this virus.

We know that no one is immune to COVID-19, and we also know that many of us can be carriers. Older people and people with health conditions are especially susceptible to this virus.

We can all do our part to stop the spread of this virus. It is our shared responsibility to help keep our families and our communities safe and healthy.

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a day that is traditionally marked by celebrations, gatherings and parties. But this year, we need to do things differently.

I am asking each of you to make the choice to stay home, to stay away from large gatherings and parties, to stay safe, and to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

We stand with our colleagues at Public Health and the City of Guelph who are working hard to educate people about COVID-19 and the importance of community co-operation to ensuring health and safety. We support the City of Guelph’s decision to not provide late night bus service tonight. This decision was made to discourage people from participating in social events that could put you and others at risk.

This is an unprecedented situation that calls on each of us to make changes to our typical routines. Together we can show our support and care for each other and our community.

Sincerely,

Franco Vaccarino

President and Vice-Chancellor