With the continued rise in COVID-19 cases, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, announced it is imposing a Provincewide Shutdown, including the City of Ottawa, effective Saturday, December 26, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. See the Carleton newsroom for the most recent messaging on the Provincewide Shutdown from the Carleton University’s COVID-19 Committee (last revised December 22).
We appreciate that the changing public health situation can cause a lot of uncertainty for students in Canada and abroad.
Public Health measures can change quickly, and we encourage students to consult with the Province of Ontario guidelines and Ottawa Public Health for the most up-to-date rules, regulations and advice to keep our community healthy and safe. For the most recent messaging from the Carleton Community, students should consult the dedicated COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Website.
Ottawa Public Health is providing multilingual COVID-19 resources on their website for accurate, reliable and up-to-date information in many languages. For an infographic summary the shutdown measures across Ontario in English, French, Somali, Spanish and Arabic (revised December 22), please review the thread assembled by Refugee 613.
Students Planning Travel to Canada
The current provincewide shutdown in Ontario should not impact travel to Canada for international students at this time. Students should be prepared for enhanced public health screening measures at the Port of Entry (airports, land borders etc.). Due to the unpredictable nature of the current public health crisis, updated measures can be put in place quickly, without notice. We recommend that students consult with their airline closer to their departure date to ensure that there are no other special measures in place that could impact travel. For the most up-to-date information on travel and entry requirements, students should reference Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): International students and follow guidance from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Students are reminded to upload their travel information into the ArriveCAN app prior to their departure, and ensure that they have a detailed quarantine plan in place for their initial 14-day period in Canada. Consult the ISSO’s Quarantine Planning and Support website for more details and resources.
Please do not hesitate to contact the ISSO at isso@carleton.ca with any additional questions that you have, as we are here to help guide and support as best we can.