On Wednesday, January 5, the province of Ontario entered a modified version of the Stage 2 reopening plan from 2021 following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Most notably, gyms have closed, indoor dining has been banned, and gatherings of people are now limited to only five indoors and ten outdoors. Additionally, retail stores and malls are once again operating at 50 percent capacity. In tandem with limiting social contacts, the Ontario government continues to recommend vaccination, including booster shots.
The University of Toronto offers vaccines on the St. George campus at Discovery Pharmacy and the Exam Centre. However, appointments at both locations are almost constantly unavailable, a phenomenon which is common across Ontario. Alternative options such as Vaccine Hunters Canada and @torontovaccines on Instagram are great sources for those trying to get their first, second, and booster shots. Both resources provide information about pop-ups and vaccine bookings. On the Discord server for Vaccine Hunters, many people also exchange time slots or alert others of their cancellations immediately.
Like vaccines, COVID-19 rapid antigen tests are also unavailable at UofT right now, despite the Winter semester beginning. According to the UTogether site, “U of T’s internal community rapid screening kit distribution remains on hold until further notice due to a lack of supply.” As a result, students seeking rapid tests must keep updated on the province’s pick-up locations, which are set to open soon. There likely will still be difficulty in obtaining a self-test as the province is set to receive 54.3 million rapid antigen tests, 14 million fewer than initially requested.
Given the difficulties of social isolation, it is important to remember that UofT provides some coverage for therapy sessions, and the My Student Support Program (My SSP) can be accessed by both local and international students.
