President's Message | August 20, 2020 | View as Webpage
New!
COVID-19 requirements for students entering Nova Scotia from outside Atlantic Canada
Dear students,
The beginning of a fall term like no other is upon us, and we are looking forward to welcoming you in September.

Our campus and community have been hard at work, preparing new models of academic and service delivery to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

One thing that has not changed is our commitment to you and our promise of academic excellence and care. You can expect a university experience like no other – the Acadia experience.

While the global pandemic will continue to present significant challenges to each of us, it also presents opportunities. Today, I am sharing information about important provincial initiatives and regulations to help further protect you and others so we can re-open our campus and community safely.

The following information pertains to students who will arrive in Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic Canada Bubble.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working closely with public health officials. Our objective is to help ensure our university community is safe for our students, faculty, staff, and residents of the surrounding area.

We all have a role to play to ensure Nova Scotia continues to be safe.

To prevent the spread of this virus in our communities, the Nova Scotia provincial government has established rules for post-secondary students arriving in the province from outside Atlantic Canada.

These rules are the law in Nova Scotia as part of the public health order under the Health Protection Act.

Required travel form
All students entering Nova Scotia from outside Atlantic Canada must complete the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in. This includes students who arrive in Nova Scotia on or after August 20, 2020, as well as students who are already in the province and self-isolating.

Once you submit the form, you will be given directions about steps you need to take as required under the public health order.

Required self-isolation
All students entering Nova Scotia from outside Atlantic Canada must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

Required COVID-19 testing
All students entering Nova Scotia from outside Atlantic Canada must get three COVID-19 tests during their self-isolation period. This includes students who arrive in Nova Scotia on or after August 20, 2020, as well as students who are already in the province and self-isolating.

After you complete the travel form, Nova Scotia Health will email you three COVID-19 test appointments and tell you the location for them. It will either be on campus or nearby. Nova Scotia Health may also call you to give additional instructions.

Canadian students are reminded to bring their provincial health card when they come to Nova Scotia.

Other Public Health measures
There are many other mandatory public health measures in place in Nova Scotia, such as staying two metres/six feet apart from others and wearing a non-medical mask in indoor public places.

Please familiarize yourself with the rules in Nova Scotia. For more information specifically for students and their parents, please read the post-secondary fact sheet. We encourage you also to follow @nsgov and https://www.facebook.com/nsgov/.

Everyone has to play their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Students have a responsibility to protect each other, the employees at their institutions, and the communities where they live. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with the self-isolation and testing requirements, and all the public health measures in place to help keep us safe.

By working together, we can and will beat this pandemic and ensure that we all remain safe and healthy. I know you will do your part in this important community effort, and together we will rise to the challenges ahead as we learn to live with COVID-19.
Sincerely,

Peter

Dr. Peter Ricketts
President and Vice-Chancellor
Acadia University
Support for You
Testing on-campus
Acadia has arranged for testing facilities to be available on our campus.

In addition to the provincial requirements, we have developed behavioural protocols for ensuring that our campus and our community stay safe.

Know that we will support you as you follow self-isolation and COVID-19 testing protocols, and detailed information will be updated as it becomes available.

We are all in this together! Thank you.
Learn More
If you have questions regarding the COVID-19 testing process, please email [email protected].

More information will be communicated directly to students, faculty, and staff, and will be updated on the Student Life and COVID-19 websites.

The province's post-secondary information website and fact sheet have useful information.

If you need a mask exemption, please email [email protected].

Students with questions related to Student Life, Academics, and Supports are asked to email [email protected] for assistance.

Faculty and Staff should contact their direct supervisor for specific assistance.