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Thursday, March 24, 2022

McGill residence students with COVID-19 forced to break isolation to eat - Montreal Gazette

Cases of COVID-19 have surged at McGill following spring break

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There are so many McGill students infected with COVID-19 in residence halls that the university is running out of isolation rooms and allowing infected students to leave isolation to collect their meals from dining halls.

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The university’s student housing office was forced to change its protocol because “the number of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 has exceeded the number of self-isolation rooms we have available,” according to an email sent to students Wednesday.

The student office would prefer that infected students have a fellow student deliver meals outside their door. However, if that’s not possible, they can collect their food in the dining hall, but must return to their room and eat alone.

Infected students who leave their room to get food, or use the washroom, must wear two procedural masks and maintain a two-metre distance from others.

Madelyn Mackintosh has been isolating in Douglas Hall since testing positive on Tuesday. But when it was time for supper Wednesday night, none of her friends were available to pick up her dinner. The first-year student double masked, sanitized her hands and entered the crowded dining hall to get something to eat.

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“I felt bad, but I didn’t have a better option,” Mackintosh said, adding that three of the seven people who live on her floor have also  tested positive for COVID-19. “We have started a Google forum to get food for each other. I think half of my friends (in residence) are positive.”

Students say it would be much safer for the university to have a meal delivery program in residences where many students have COVID-19, rather than allowing infected students to leave their rooms.

McGill reported 143 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, up from 69 cases on campus the previous week.

“I’m certain that the bulk of those cases are in residences,” said James Newman, the head of the union representing residential advisors, or floor fellows. Union members began strike action last week over monetary demands.

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Newman contends that the protocol change is unsafe for staff and students.

“McGill has given (infected) students the green light to break their isolation and go downstairs to get their meals,” he said in an interview. “Residences are the main points of infection. People are living close together, visiting rooms and partying.”

According to Montreal public health, fully vaccinated people 12 and over must self-isolate for at least five days from the onset of  symptoms. If you have no symptoms prior to a positive test, you must isolate for five days from the day of the test.

Under the new rules, a student whose roommate has tested positive for COVID-19 can continue to stay in the double room if no isolation rooms are available in their residence.

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Roommates who are uncomfortable sharing with an infected student can move to single room in the Royal Victoria College on University St. for the duration of their roommate’s isolation period, McGill says.

About 96.3 per cent of McGill students are adequately vaccinated, along with 92.3 per cent of staff.

COVID-19 protocols for students living in residence were revised following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Quebec, said Claire Loewen, a media relations officer at McGill. The university wouldn’t say how many cases of COVID-19 there are among students living in residence. The university has housing for about 3,000 students.

kwilton@postmedia.com

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