By Mostafa Hetteh
Update: March 12, 2020
Life seems to continue as normal at Seneca College. Students are gathering in the library, cafeteria, classes and bar, despite the fear that the Seneca campuses can become one of the focal spots of the unfolding coronavirus outbreak.
Cristo Li, a second-year accounting student who is studying at Seneca College, has spoken out about fear linked to the coronavirus after Canada’s counts of Covid-19 cases climbed past 103 over the weekend, with 42 diagnoses in Ontario.
She says, “Seneca College officials need to prepare for the potential arrival of the novel coronavirus on Seneca campuses, as well as they need to be ready to cancel classes or do more to protect the Seneca community’s health and garner the safety of 45.000 students across campuses.”
Last Thursday a student from York University had been rushed to hospital. A student seems to be infected by Coronavirus. This event has raised the concern for students at Seneca @York. Regarding the concern, the executive director of community safety at York University, Samina Sami, informed that the students will be updated when further information will be available. But Yanni Dagonas, an Acting Chief Spokesperson, says he does not have any information to provide.
Some students want their classes cancelled until proper precautions have been taken to guarantee the life of students at Seneca. However, many of the students do not feel any anxiety attending classes or campuses at Seneca due to the Novel Coronavirus outbreak. Chloe, a first-year Graphic student, said she has no serious concerns about coronavirus but says, “It requires college officials to take more serious preventative steps to ensure student life at school. They should do an excellent job of helping people stay calm. But none of my classmates on campus are that concerned either.”
The college site only published recommendations from the Canadian public health authorities advising students by washing hands, avoiding contact with people and so on. College officials stressed that the virus is not serious and dangerous. They say, “The risk of infection from Wuhan Novel Coronavirus is low.”
In the last update news, the York University website says, ” Currently there are no presumed or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our campus.”
Despite the escalation of the Coronavirus crisis, Seneca College has not taken serious steps to ensure the safety of students.
Terrie Fitzpatrick, the manager of Counselling and Accessibility Services says, “Seneca students are concerned about students who are going back to their home country and coming back into contact with relatives or friends.” She adds the office hasn’t seen so many people are coming in to the office yet, but as more information gets salted, more people become infected, and the concern is going to increase.
David Agnew, president of Seneca College, says they are preparing contingency plans if Seneca College is forced to change their usual routine.” So, the measures that they have undertaken are: First, “putting restrictions on all international travel by students for academic purposes and by employees for Seneca business. Secondly, they will require any student, employee or contractor returning from a Level 3 country or region to not come to campus for 14 days as they undergo the mandatory period of self-isolation as directed by the Government of Canada. Finally, no new events will be scheduled until further notice and Seneca will not be taking any new external rentals or bookings for now.”
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