Alberta prof calling for COVID-19 protocols to be in place on campus ahead of Sept.

EDMONTON – Staff members at the University of Alberta in Edmonton are calling for COVID-19 health protocols to be put in place for when school resumes in the fall.

Professor John Church, who’s written a letter to the dean, says if there are no health measures, it will be like attending a super-spreader event every day.

“[Students] will be elbow to elbow. And I’ll tell you that, in many classes, there are students that are basically standing because there is no room to sit and in the hallways between classes,” he said.

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Church says the Kenney government’s move to lift health measures is putting people in danger.. and the university should move to protect its students and staff.

“I would say, this is about as serious as it gets. And there is still time for the government to be convinced to reverse its position and to return us all to a situation where we can have an open economy, but we can do it in a way that keeps the public safe,” he added.

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He says so far the senior administrators are not backing down from a full unprotected reopening.

Alberta’s NDP has issued a call for the government to take steps to protect students when they go back to school, saying data suggests only about 51 per cent of those between 20 and 24 have been vaccinated.