Safety Tips

You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading the virus by taking some simple precautions:

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (preferred).
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face.
• Avoid closed spaces, crowded places, close contact settings and close-range conversation or settings where there’s:
  • singing
  • shouting
  • heavy breathing (for example, during exercise)
• Wear a non-medical mask or face covering when you’re in:
  • public and you might come into close contact with others
  • shared indoor spaces with people from outside your immediate household
• Stay home and away from others if you feel sick.
• Keep the number of people you have prolonged contact with as small as possible.
• Stick to a small and consistent social circle and avoid gathering in large groups.
• Talk to your employer about working at home if possible.
• Limit contact with those at risk of more severe illness, such as:
  • older adults
  • those with underlying medical conditions
  • those with compromised immune systems
• Go outside to exercise.
• Maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from people outside of your household.
  • Household contacts (people you live with) don’t need to distance from each other unless they’re sick or have travelled in the last 14 days.

You should be on the lookout for any cold and flu symptoms. These symptoms include:

• fever/chills
• cough
• sore throat
• shortness of breath

If you develop symptoms you should get tested for COVID-19 by a healthcare provider or at a local collection centre. If you test positive, you must contact the university at [email protected]. HealthLink BC recommends testing for anyone with cold or flu symptoms.

If you are unsure if you should get tested, use this online assessment tool or call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to talk to a health professional.

Students feeling stressed or worried can talk to a counsellor with the Keep Me Safe service available through the MySSP app or by calling 1-844-451-9700 toll free. This service is available to all UCW students and is available in a number of different languages.

Here2Talk, a new another mental health support service introduced by the BC Government. It connects all post-secondary students in BC with 24/7 mental health support.

To learn more about Here2Talk, visit www.here2talk.ca or call 1-877-857-3397 toll-free or 604-642-5212 direct. The service is available online in English and French. Other languages are available by phone. Counsellors can also help students connect with mental health resources in their communities.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].