Ontario Implements 'Emergency Brake' Shutdown
April 1, 2021
A message from Dr. David Malloy, King's Principal:
We have all done an extraordinary job staying safe during the pandemic, despite the increase in positive test cases. On Thursday, April 1, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced that, as of April 3, 2021, all of the province’s public health regions will move to the shutdown level of the COVID-19 response framework, for a period of 28 days. This means that King’s, and everyone in the London and Middlesex area, will implement widescale measures and restrictions, including closures, to halt or interrupt transmission of COVID-19 and to help prevent our hospital system from being overwhelmed.
King’s will continue to operate largely virtual as we have been, with services continuing to be available online and operating on existing schedules. However, the implementation of the ‘emergency brake’ shutdown affects a few specific areas on campus, including:
Residences
Residence will remain open under shutdown. Residents are asked to monitor their Western email accounts as they will receive more detailed emails from the Residence and Campus Life Office about residence operations. All safety protocols remain in place. Food Services will be open to serve our residents with food service pick-up models. Follow Food Services on Instagram for updates.
Cardinal Carter Library
Beginning April 5, 2021:
- Building access closed
- Open for contactless book pick-up at the front entrance during scheduled hours
- Book returns to external book drop
- Online Digitization Requests for virtual documents available
- Online chat help available
- Online research and course reserves materials available
For more information, please visit the library's website.
Student Life Centre
All operations in the Student Life Centre will be closed. The King’s Connection has an online store, The Write Place has online services and the King’s University College Students’ Council has online services via their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Study Spaces
All study spaces are closed until further notice. For those students who have personal circumstances that may require a study space on campus, please contact the Dean of Students at acsd@kings.uwo.ca.
Accessibility Services, Personal Counselling, Career Services and Learning Skills
All services are available virtually to support students. Please review the website for updated information. Students can also reach out to CMHA virtual counselling, Togetherall and Good2Talk platforms.
Campus Ministry
Moving into shutdown limits in-person masses to 15% seating capacity. If you were registered to attend an in-person service during the Triduum, please check your email as reservations have been impacted. We encourage you to attend these services virtually as they will be livestreamed through Campus Ministry's Facebook and YouTube channel.
Campus Ministry services, including Pastoral Counselling and programming, continue to be offered virtually. Our regular ministry at the Hospitality Centre will be suspended this month. The daily work of the Hospitality Centre continues with their regular staff, and we hope to return to our regular ministry there when it is deemed safe to do so.
Updates are posted through the Parish Bulletins on the Campus Ministry homepage and Facebook page.
Western’s COVID-19 Testing Centre in the Western Student Recreation Centre will be open from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. on Friday, April 2 - Saturday, April 3. Registered students and current employees can schedule an appointment in advance using the online booking tool.
If you or anyone you know in the King’s community needs help, please reach out to me or to our services. We will continue to evolve in the ways we adapt to the demands of the pandemic and we hope to return to an in-person community as soon as possible.
I am extremely proud of how our faculty, staff and students have responded to the pandemic. You have shown incredible commitment, resilience, ingenuity and empathy for one another during these challenging times.
As always, take care of yourself, each other and we will take care of this place until you return,