The following is a daily update of how COVID-19 is affecting the McGill and Montreal community.
A compiled article with all previous updates is available here. An accessible version of daily updates and resources is available here.
The Daily’s editorial statement on community support during this public health crisis is available here.
(Updated Monday, March 16, 4:30 p.m.)
Per a Twitter update posted at 1:55 p.m., no in-person examinations will take place this term. Additionally, the term will not be extended. Just as information regarding the remainder of course outlines will be shared with the McGill community by the end of March, so will information regarding final assessments.
Additionally, McGill confirmed today in a Facebook comment that residences will remain open until at least the end of the lease. For all residences – except Solin Hall – this is April 30, 2020. Solin Hall leases are valid until July 30, 2020.
On the McGill COVID-19 website, the University states that “all classes that can be taught online will be taught in an online format,” beginning on March 30. For classes that cannot be taught remotely, the University is “evaluating alternatives for these situations,” and states that the goal is still to ensure that as many students as possible complete “most, if not all of their academic term remotely.”
The University maintains that the “situation is extremely fluid”, and states that they may extend the physical campus closures beyond the two week period, depending on how provincial government regulations develop. Currently, no information has been made available regarding the summer semester and the status of those classes is unclear.
McGill has also created a FAQ page that includes more details on campus closures and academic procedures going forward.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday, March 16 that Canada is closing its borders to most non-Canadian citizens. The exceptions to this include Canadian permanent residents, U.S. citizens, the immediate family members of Canadian citizens, diplomats, and air crews. Additionally, any person showing symptoms of COVID-19 will not be permitted to enter the country. Per CTV News, “Air operators are being instructed to prevent any traveller who presents symptoms of the virus from boarding a plane.” According to Trudeau, the government will also support Canadians abroad by either covering their travel costs home, or their basic needs while living outside Canada.
A separate CTV News article published on Monday, March 16 reports that a group of McGill students and a McGill professor in the department of earth and planetary sciences have been stranded in Morocco after their flight was cancelled. They have been trying to get in contact with the embassy in Rabat.
As of Saturday, March 16 at 4:30 p.m., there are 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Quebec and more than 300 in Canada.