Queen’s University is among a select number of institutions that have been approved to welcome international students to Canada. This comes as the Federal Government announced that they were easing traveling restrictions for international students. The students must have an approved study permit and are traveling for a “non discretionary” purpose.
In a statement, Queen’s said that they have worked rigorously with public health officials and federal and provincial governments in order to meet local public health guidelines. As part of their “COVID-19 readiness plan,” they are also working to coordinate a mandatory 14-isolation for travellers. This includes chartering coach buses for arriving students and arranging local hotels for students to begin their quarantine.
“The Queen’s COVID-19 readiness plan addresses many different aspects in meticulous detail, including outlining all transportation and quarantine requirements. For instance, the university will provide chartered coaches to transport arriving students from the airport to their quarantine location in Kinston. Queen’s has also arranged with local hotels to make quarantine accommodation packages available to arriving international students,” the university said in a statement.
Queen’s has also said that they will be checking in on the international students regularly, in order to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing.
The university did not say how many students would be welcomed to Kingston, but have said that they are starting with a limited amount number of students.
As of October 22nd, St. Lawrence College has not been approved as a “Designated Learning Institution” which is needed to re-introduce international students to the community. However, St. Lawrence College has released a statement stating that they have submitted their application and are expecting approval shortly.
