COVID-19 Restrictions Added

Students have been sitting at home watching the snowfall from dark clouds as another week of distance learning has unfolded at Holland College. Students and teachers are sitting at home, conducting classes in an online format, waiting to be back in person.

The P.E.I Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, and Premier Dennis King held a COVID-19 briefing where it was announced that new restrictions will be starting at midnight - Jan.18. These restrictions will be in place until Jan. 31.

Private and public schools will continue with distance learning. Holland College instructors will contact students with instructions for the next few weeks in regards to how individual programs will conduct their classes.

Gatherings are now limited to a single household plus up to two support people when needed. If someone is in a single household they can join another household. These bubbles can do outdoor activities together like skiing or sledding.

Gyms are closed, no organized activities are allowed to unfold either.

Indoor dining at restaurants will be closed as well, but don't worry, take-out and delivery will still be operating.

These restrictions are in place not to stop the spread of the Omicron variant, but to flatten the curve - which has been the goal since the start of the pandemic everywhere.

If students are feeling stir crazy Holland College still has interactive events unfolding to keep students active and healthy during this stressful time.

Hurricanes Fitness and Recreation and the Holland College Student Union have started hosting a yoga live stream on the fitness center Instagram @canesfitness. Classes are Monday at 6:00 pm and Thursday at 7:30 pm. The host is Kate Forget, @namastate_yoga.

With new restrictions in place, access to the gym will be closed. Students are encouraged to still find healthy ways to pass the time.

The Library staff will still be hosting workshops online. Students are encouraged to keep an eye on their emails for details.

Holland College also offers a fun program to meet people in different programs. Julia Clayton, Recruitment and First-year advisor, emailed students reaching out about Global Buddies.

Global Buddies is a fun and exciting Holland College program where students are paired with other students from different countries. Each month, the buddies get a task from a scratch card. This could be watching a sports game, or going for a hike.

Meeting people from other countries is an interesting experience, it allows students to look into another part of the world and see how someone else lives outside of the Island. If students wish to participate in the program, they can email Julia at her Holland College email, jrclayton@hollandcollege.com. The deadline is Jan. 24 to sign up. All details will be provided to students' emails.

The pandemic has been hard, Holland College knows this isn't easy for anyone.

For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in P.E.I head to https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news.

Students should also stay posted to their emails for any and all latest updates on how Holland College will operate for the duration of the new restrictions.

Any questions reach out to program instructors. Stay safe and healthy Holland College.