CCTB Covid-19 Information

• Continues to maintain a high level of vigilance on tracking the trends and changes in the pandemic. 
• Reminds everyone to follow good health practices of:
• Keeping up to date with all vaccinations,
• Stay home when sick,
• Regular handwashing,
• Follow respiratory hygiene, and
• Wearing a mask is a personal choice depending on individuals’ own risk assessments.  The choice that students, faculty, and staff make to practice additional personal prevention measures should be respected.
• Expects that there will continue to be periodic fluctuations in COVID-19 activity. At this point in time, Public Health does not anticipate that population wide public health orders will be needed in view of the level of population immunity that now exists. 

• Public health orders do not require face coverings in public spaces, including post-secondary classrooms, student housing facilities, or workspaces. 
• Students, faculty, and staff working in health care settings may be required to wear a mask by their workplace.
• More detailed information about types of masks and how to use them is available on the BCCDC website.
• Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to continue to be supportive of individual choices and requirements with respect to the wearing of masks.

• Those who have been advised to test and test positive for COVID-19 are recommended to self-isolate as much as reasonably possible.
• If you have mild symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need a test.  Stay home and away from others until you feel well enough to return to your regular activities and you no longer have a fever.
• Testing for COVID-19 is recommended when a positive or negative result will inform decisions about treatment or care (e.g., those who are hospitalized).
• Those with symptoms can assess whether or not they need a test by using the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool.
• Individuals can continue to access shared common areas when necessary, including kitchens and washrooms with safety measures in place.  These safety measures include:
• Minimizing prolonged face to face interactions
• Wearing a face mask while in close physical proximity to others,
• Practicing regular hand washing, and
• Accessing shared space during quieter times, when possible.
• Individuals living in on-campus housing may take advantage of self-catered options (where individuals can have a friend pick up meals from the cafeteria) and/or delivery options that some housing services provide. 
• This will reduce the spread of COVID-19 while still allowing an individual who tests positive to access essential facilities such as shared kitchen and bathroom spaces.
• Students who are required to isolate and as a result cannot participate in course assessments should follow their PSI’s policy regarding accommodations for missed assignments due to medical reasons. 

• There are ongoing discussions about the bivalent vaccine, and more information will be available on the BCCDC website
• Information on Monkeypox is available on the BCCDC website linked here.

Additional information for Post Secondary studies, such as PSI specific Communicable Disease Prevention plans can be found here.         

Thank you for the important role you play in supporting the provincial COVID-19 response.  

COVID-19 Resources:

• BCCDC: Post-Secondary Public Health Guidance are hosted here.
• Guidance and recommendations from the Provincial Health Officer are available online at the COVID-19 Provincial Support and Information website.
• If you require advice regarding a potential COVID-19 case, please contact your local Medical Health Officer.
• WorkSafeBC guidance is available on communicable disease prevention plans.

At CCTB, the well-being, safety and success of our students are top priority. With the CCTB COVID-19 refund guarantee, students can start studying online with peace of mind while waiting for the outcome of their study permit.

Students who commence a program online for any of the 2021-2023 start dates, after applying for their study permit with IRCC, and receive a visa refusal will now be eligible for a full refund. 

To qualify for the refund, students must submit their visa refusal letter within five (5) business days of receiving the refusal letter. The refund will exclude the non-refundable $250 administration fee.

Terms and Conditions for CCTB COVID- 19 Refund Guarantee

1. The policy applies to students with a start date between 2021 and 2023 who are waiting for their visa outcome.
2. The student submitted a complete study permit application under CCTB’s DLI and paid the required fees.
3. The student did not complete more than30% of their program.
4. The student did not put their studies on hold, postpone their program, or cancel their program after it started, or other reasons not related to visa refusal.
5. The student received a visa refusal and provided the refusal letter within 5
   business days of the refusal date.
6. Books and material fees are paid in full prior to the start-date:
   1. For students with a valid study permit, all books and material fees that have been paid are non-refundable if they have been received by the student prior to their withdrawal;
   2. Books and material fees that have been paid but not received
      by the student at the time of withdrawal will be refunded;
   3. Please refer to the CCTB Tuition Refund Policyfor more information about book and material fees.  

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken a layered approach to border management to protect the health and safety of Canadians. As the pandemic situation has continued to evolve, adjustments to border measures have been informed by the latest evidence, available data, operational considerations, and the epidemiological situation, both in Canada and internationally. 

The Government of Canada announced the removal of all COVID-19 entry restrictions, as well as testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada, effective October 1, 2022.

The removal of border measures has been facilitated by a number of factors, including modelling that indicates that Canada has largely passed the peak of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 fuelled wave, Canada’s high vaccination rates, lower hospitalization and death rates, as well as the availability and use of vaccine boosters (including new bivalent formulation), rapid tests, and treatments for COVID-19.

For more information, please see this link