WINNIPEG -- Students who live in Brandon University residences have been told to move out of their dorms by the end of the week, to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Around 290 students live in residences at the university and received the news Tuesday night.
“Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and for the safety of our entire community, Brandon University requires all students who are able to move out of residences by Sunday, March 22 at 5 p.m.,” reads a message on the school’s website.
Brandon University spokesperson Grant Hamilton said, “We are taking this action after careful consideration, and believe this is the best way to ensure the health and safety of our entire community,”
Hamilton said the university is making some exceptions for international students, people in self-isolation, and those who need more time to leave because of “extreme distance.”
He said the decision will allow the university to better protect students who must stay, “by spacing them out into individual rooms and avoiding shared facilities.”
The university acknowledged this will be disruptive, but said it is committed to helping students.
There are no in-person courses or exams at Brandon University for the rest of the 2020 winter term because of coronavirus concerns.
The University of Manitoba is holding a meeting Wednesday to decide its next steps on whether to ask students to moved out of residences.
CTV Winnipeg has also reached out to the University of Winnipeg, and is awaiting comment.
