Under the provincial guidelines, athletic facilities are permitted to increase capacities in fitness activity spaces, provided they are categorized as recreational facilities for sport and fitness and check vaccination status for all patrons (staff, faculty, students, alumni, community members, etc.) entering the facility. Completion of a daily attestation and contact tracing must still occur upon entrance. Previously Laurier athletic facilities (University Stadium and Athletic Complex) were categorized as academic buildings, which did not require vaccination passports upon entrance.

Vaccine Requirements

Beginning Wednesday, November 24th, 2021, Laurier athletic facilities will change its categorization from an academic building to a recreational facility. This change will require the Department of Athletics and Recreation to verify vaccination status upon entrance into all athletic facilities as per the provincial mandate.

Patrons aged 12 and older must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination along with a government-issued ID upon entrance. Children who are 11 years of age and younger will be exempted from proof of vaccine and testing requirements.

In accordance with Ministry of Health guidance, an individual is considered fully vaccinated if they have received:

• Two doses using Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca (including CoviShield) in any combination (the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by Health Canada)
• One or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada, followed by one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine authorized by Health Canada
• Three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine not authorized by Health Canada
• A minimum of 14-days have passed since your final dose

Documentation Required for Proof of Full Vaccination

Students/Staff/Faculty must show their completed SAFEHawk Vaccine Passport alongside government-issued ID or their issued student/faculty OneCard. No paper documentation will be accepted.
Community members or visitors to campus must show proof of full vaccination in the form of documentation issued by the public health authority that administered the vaccine (for example Ontario Ministry of Health COVID-19 vaccination receipt; a government-issued vaccination record or receipt from another Canadian province or territory; a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued vaccination card; or record of vaccination from the healthcare provider or international public health authority that administered the vaccine(s)).

The documentation can be displayed either on a mobile device or through printed documentation. The Grassroots iOS Wallet app is NOT acceptable as it is not a government-issued receipt.

Medical Vaccine Exemptions

Documentation of a medical exemption must be provided by either a physician or a nurse practitioner (note: a nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who holds an extended certificate of registration under the Nursing Act, 1991). The exemption must clearly indicate the reason why the individual cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e. clear medical information that supports the exemption). The physician's or registered nurse in the extended class's information is complete by including:

• Logo or letterhead identifying the physician or nurse practitioner (extended class);
• Name and contact information of the physician or registered nurse in the extended class; and
• A statement that there is a medical reason for the individual's exemption from being fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Exemptions based on a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, are currently not accepted.

User Group Vaccination Check Guidelines

Students/Staff/Faculty

• Must show vaccine passport in SafeHAWK upon entrance into the Athletic Complex and/or University Stadium.
• Individuals with approved exemptions will be able to show their vaccination passport in SafeHAWK similar to any vaccinated individual on campus
• Individuals with an extension of the vaccination timeline requirements (currently enrolled in the on-campus rapid test program), will be able to show their vaccine passport in SafeHAWK similar to other students on campus.
• Government-issued identification or student/faculty OneCard must be provided
• Note: staff will not be accepting paper documentation from students/staff/faculty. Only badges issued via SafeHAWK will be accepted.

Community Members (alumni, community, non-students)

• All visitors must show proof of vaccination status upon entry into the Athletic Complex and/or University Stadium.
  • Acceptable forms of proof include: paper documentation, Enhance Vaccination Passport QR code
  • The Grassroots iOS Wallet app is NOT acceptable as it is not a government-issued receipt.
• Government-issued identification must be provided that matches the name of the person on the proof of vaccination documentation
• Visitors with medical exemptions must show proof of medical exemption upon entrance
  • Documentation of a medical exemption must be provided by either a physician or a nurse practitioner. The exemption must clearly indicate the reason why the individual cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e. clear medical information that supports the exemption). The physician's or registered nurse practitioner in the extended class's information is complete by including:
    • Logo or letterhead identifying the physician or nurse practitioner (extended class)
    • Contact information of the physician/nurse practitioner (extended class) is on the document.
    • A statement that there is a medical reason for the individual's exemption
• Exemptions based on a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, are currently NOT accepted.

Rental Groups

• Rental groups are responsible for managing their own process for collecting and attesting to proof of vaccination prior to accessing all buildings and facilities on campus.
• Any member of the rental group who is unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons or other grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code will be required to follow policies and procedures outlined for them by the rental group, as it adheres to the provincial guidelines provided as part of the provincial vaccine passport program
• A designated onsite supervisor identified by the rental group will manage this process

Game Day Vaccination Checks

Ticket Holders

• Ticket holders include students/staff/faculty and community members. Vaccine requirements would follow the process identified above.

Officials & Media Personnel

• All officials and media personnel must show proof of vaccination status upon entry into the Athletic Complex and/or University Stadium.
  • Acceptable forms of proof include: paper documentation, Enhance Vaccination Passport QR code
  • The Grassroots iOS Wallet app is NOT acceptable as it is not a government-issued receipt.
• Government-issued identification must be provided that matches the name of the person on the proof of vaccination documentation
• Visitors with medical exemptions must show proof of medical exemption upon entrance
  • Documentation of a medical exemption must be provided by either a physician or a nurse practitioner. The exemption must clearly indicate the reason why the individual cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e. clear medical information that supports the exemption). The physician's or registered nurse practitioner in the extended class's information is complete by including:
    • Logo or letterhead identifying the physician or nurse practitioner (extended class)
    • Contact information of the physician/nurse practitioner (extended class) is on the document.
    • A statement that there is a medical reason for the individual's exemption
• Exemptions based on a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, are currently NOT accepted.

Team Personnel (Coaches, support staff, home team, visiting team)

• All team personnel must show their vaccination passport in SafeHAWK (Laurier students or staff) or provide their Enhance Vaccination Passport QR code or paper documentation (visiting team and coaches) upon entrance into the Athletic Complex and/or University Stadium.
• Those with approved exemptions or extensions will be able to show their vaccine passport in SafeHAWK similar to other students on campus or provide proof of exemption as outlined above under community members.