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Varsity athletes

  • How many varsity athletes are at Ontario Tech?
    There are about 220 varsity athletes.
  • Are coaches and athletics staff who practice and travel with the teams required to be vaccinated?
    Currently, COVID-19 vaccine requirements affect student varsity athletes and students living in campus residences. The university is encouraging everyone to get fully vaccinated. The university continues to follow guidance from public health and has systems and processes in place that help ensure the safety, health and well-being of our Ridgeback community such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, testing, capacity limits in common spaces and regular self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Is the university requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for intramural sports or other recreational sports teams/activities?
    Currently, COVID-19 vaccine requirements include student varsity athletes and students living in campus residences.
  • Why are you only requiring varsity athletes and students living in residence to be vaccinated? Why not for all students who will be taking classes on campus?

    Like students living in campus residences, varsity athletes are in regular close contact with many other students, sharing spaces and facilities, and travelling together. The dynamic nature of sporting activities means our student athletes are often in close and regular contact with each other during practices and competitions, and interact with athletes from other universities in high-touch, competitive and sometimes contained environments. By ensuring our varsity athletes are vaccinated, we can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and create safer sporting and living experiences for everyone.

    Ontario Tech has been unequivocal in its support of vaccination as crucial to helping ensure public health and safety and to ending the global COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts have established that vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect individuals and those around them from serious illness due to COVID-19. The university is encouraging everyone who can be vaccinated to get fully vaccinated.

  • Are you allowing for exemptions?
    We will provide accommodations for student athletes who have medical exemptions or for grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code, provided that an exemption form is submitted and approved. There will be ongoing mandatory rapid antigen testing for those who receive exemptions.
  • What happens if a varsity athlete is not vaccinated?

    Non-vaccinated varsity athletes without an approved exemption will not be allowed to compete or travel with their team. It does not mean they are removed from the team, but they are ineligible for many privileges that varsity athletes have. We will work with each situation individually to determine what training and service can be maintained based on the nature of their sport.

    Those with exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis prior to and during the season.

  • Varsity teams start practicing Tuesday, September 7, which is well before the September 30 vaccination deadline. How will you ensure safety of players during this period?

    We will be doing mandatory rapid antigen testing of our teams starting at the beginning of training camp as part of our health and safety practices.

    All varsity athletes and staff will be required to comply with protocols to ensure team and community safety, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing, in keeping with public health guidance.

  • Will varsity players with vaccine exemptions be allowed to compete?
    Yes, but they will be required to be tested regularly as part of our health and safety practices. We will also continue to enforce health and safety measures, in keeping with public health guidance, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing.
  • Will testing be mandatory for non-vaccinated varsity athletes?
    Yes. We will be testing varsity athletes who have been granted exemptions regularly as part of our health and safety practices. As well, all varsity athletes will be required to comply with other protocols to ensure team and community safety, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing, in keeping with public health guidance.
  • How will vaccination status be confirmed?
    Further information will be forthcoming week of August 11 regarding the process of confirmation, including how to upload vaccination data to the current secure varsity athlete medical portal. Vaccination data will be used to prevent and respond to COVID-19 on campus and to comply with all Health Canada and local public health guidelines.
  • If I’ve already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated?
    Yes, those student-athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 are still required to be fully vaccinated.
  • If I’m vaccinated, do I still need to be tested?
    If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and/or if you have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, you should be tested. Testing protocols may be modified based on provincial guidance, public health advice or other circumstances. Vaccinated athletes may be required to undergo rapid antigen testing prior to practices or game play – details will be provided prior to the start of training camps.
  • What is the definition of “fully vaccinated?”
    People are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. People are considered partially vaccinated if they have received only one dose or a second dose but 14 days have not passed. Unvaccinated persons are those who have not received any COVID-19 shots.