CREDIT: FANSHAWE STUDENT UNION PUBLICATIONS
After consulting with the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) and Western University, Fanshawe College is postponing their Spring Open House, originally scheduled for March 14.

Fanshawe College announced they will be postponing their March 14 Spring Open House at all campuses due to 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

“This decision was made in consultation with the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) and Western University,” an email from the College’s corporate communications team stated. “Fanshawe will continue to work closely with the Middlesex-London Health Unit and will continue to review all activities and events.”

Western University has also postponed their Open House on the same day.


As of writing, all other events and Fanshawe classes will continue to run as scheduled. Employees are expected to attend work unless they are ill or on another approved leave. Fanshawe also has additional housekeeping staff on board to ensure frequently touched surfaces are cleaned and disinfected often.

Fanshawe is reminding students and staff to often wash their hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable. It’s also recommended to avoid touching your mouth, nose, and face with unwashed hands.

The email also stated all College-related international travel should be cancelled. Staff who travel to one of the federal government’s identified locations for COVID-19 should report to their supervisor and the MLHU, then self-quarantine and return to work after 14 days.

More information can be found on fanshawec.ca.  

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic on March 11.

The Ontario Government announced in a March 12 press release that the province is executing advanced measures to protect Ontarians from the COVID-19 global epidemic. The province’s new command table has expanded lab-testing capacity, implementing new safety measures for frontline workers and the public, and enhancing access to screening. All of the measures are in addition to the $100-million COVID-19 Contingency Fund.

The Ottawa Hospital, North York General Hospital, Mackenzie Health, Brampton Civic Hospital, Trillium Health Partners, and the Scarborough Health Network will open dedicated assessment centres, with more to open within the coming weeks. New physician billing codes, allowing doctors to conduct more over the phone assessments, were also approved.

The provincial government is working with Telehealth to ensure support to handle a rise in the volume of calls, and will launch an online COVID-19 self-assessment tool. The self-assessment tool will be found on ontario.ca/coronavirus. The website is updated twice a day at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., seven days a week, for more information about COVID-19.

Ontario’s COVID-19 web page said there have been more than 50 COVID-19 tests confirmed positive in the province.

The COVID-19 page on the MLHU’s website, last updated March 11, said that while the outbreak is quickly evolving on a global scale, there’s still a low risk of contracting COVID-19 in London, Ont. The health unit also stated they will be monitoring the situation as much as possible. As reported by CBC London, the MLHU will also have a dedicated assessment centre.

On March 11, Western announced on their website that they will cancel all university-sanctioned international travel until June 1. The cancellation includes practicums, conferences, research placements, study abroad, internships, conferences, exchanges, and any other international travel approved by faculty, staff, or department member and applies to all students.