Several Canadian universities keep vax mandates

Several Canadian universities are maintaining COVID-19 precautions such as vaccine mandates and masking for students attending in-person classes even as governments roll back pandemic restrictions.

In Ontario, Western University, York University and the University of Guelph say they're keeping their COVID-19 vaccination and masking requirements in place for students and staff until at least the end of the current winter semester.

Other schools in Ontario, including the University of Toronto, say they aren't making any changes to their COVID-19 vaccine policies and continue to consult with the government and public health officials on the issue.

Ontario's top doctor said last week that vaccine policies at post-secondary institutions have served their purpose and should be dropped.

The province is ending its vaccine certificate system on March 1, when capacity limits in public settings and restrictions on social gathering sizes will fully lift as well, though masking requirements will remain for now.

In Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta say they're suspending their vaccination mandates when on-campus learning resumes next week but will keep their masking requirements in place despite the province's plan to drop that measure as of March 1.