Asymptomatic Testing: How to Self-Administer the Abbott Panbio Rapid Test

Posted: September 24, 2021

RRC students and employees with an approved medical, religious/creed, or other exemption are required to participate in regular asymptomatic COVID-19 testing to attend any on-campus teaching, learning or work requirements. Proof of a negative rapid test result must be uploaded to the RRC Mobile Safety app (and verified) before arriving on campus.

To support members of the College community in asymptomatic testing requirements, RRC Safety and Health Services has developed the following video, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to self-administer the Abbott Panbio Rapid Test.

Note: Your verified QR code (generated from a negative rapid test result) automatically expires after 72 hours. If you need to attend campus after this time, you are required to provide another negative rapid test result and submit a new application on the Mobile Safety app.

Testing is only to be performed on asymptomatic individuals with an approved exemption. If you are experiencing COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, DO NOT come to campus. Instead, follow Shared Health’s screening process.

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Asymptomatic Rapid Test Instructions

1. Wash or sanitize your hands.

2. Remove the test device from the foil and place it on flat horizontal surface.

3. The tube has been prepared with the buffer solution. Place the tube upright in a sturdy cup or mug. Remove the blue cap and set it aside.

4. Remove the swab from sterile packaging. Tilt your head back to around 70 degrees. Insert the swab less than one inch (about 2cm) into nostril, until slight resistance is met at back of nose.

5. Rotate the swab five times against the nasal wall then slowly remove from the nostril. With the same swab, repeat this process in your other nostril.

6. Place the swab inside the tube and swirl the swab tip in the buffer fluid, touching the sides of tube, 5 times. Squeeze the swab head by squeezing the tube with your fingers. Break the swab at the breakpoint and close the tube with the blue cap.

7. Open the dropping nozzle cap at the bottom of the extraction tube. Dispense 5 drops vertically into the specimen well of the test device. Do not handle or move the test device until the test is complete and ready for reading.

8. Dispose of the tube containing the used swab.

9. Record time and read result at 15 minutes. Do not read results after 20 minutes as it could deliver inaccurate results.

Test Results:

• If the line shows up only on the C line, it represents a negative result.
• If lines show up on both the C line and T line, it represents a positive result. If you receive a positive result, DO NOT attend campus. visit an approved testing site for confirmative results.
• If a line shows up only on the T line or if no line is visible, it represents an invalid test, and testing will need to be redone.

10. After your result is in, write the date and time on the front of the test device with a sharpie.

11. Upload a photo of your test device to the Mobile Safety App. Do not throw test result out until approval is received.

Click here for instructions on how to upload your rapid test results.

Curious about RRC’s HVAC systems on Campus?

Posted: September 10, 2021

Red River College’s Facility Management team has taken a proactive approach to ensure that our Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are operating at their maximum possible efficiency, operating longer hours, and introducing as much fresh air to our buildings as possible.

Learn more about our HVAC systems by watching this short video.

Please note all Health and Safety protocols on Campus were followed to produce this video.

Vaccine Requirement – Soft Launch Extended to September 20

Posted: September 9, 2021

As our teams across the College have been working hard during the initial soft launch of the vaccine requirement for our campuses, we’ve recognized that we need to adjust our original timelines to best support the College community.

We need additional time to get things right and finalize our processes to ensure that we’re implementing this new policy in the best way possible. As a result, we’ve decided to adjust the start date from Friday, September 10 to Monday, September 20.

That means anyone attending campus must have their first dose, or an approved exemption (medical, religious/creed, or other), by September 20, with their second dose by October 17.

Extending this grace period will allow additional time to familiarize the College community with the entry process for our campuses and provide us with the opportunity to make adjustments as needed to maintain ease of access to our campuses in advance of September 20.

This date change also provides us with additional time to finalize the logistics to offer asymptomatic testing for members of the College community who have an approved medical, religious/creed-based, or other exemption. 

Asymptomatic testing will begin on September 20 for those individuals with an approved exemption – further information regarding confirmation of exemption approvals and testing will be shared with those individuals early next week.

Accessing campus now through September 20

Until the on-campus verification process starts on September 20, verifying your vaccine information at our designated entrances will be voluntary. However,  we strongly encourage you to download the app to familiarize yourself with the process and become familiar with our campus entry procedures. 

Participating in the soft launch by downloading the Mobile Safety App and sharing your status will allow us to refine and strengthen our entry and verification procedures to ensure you can easily and quickly enter the campus.

Download the RRC Mobile Safety App 
Step-by-step instructions on how to upload your proof of vaccination (or approved exemption)

As a reminder, you must enter the College through one of the designated entrances when coming to campus. Please note that entrances may be adjusted as we continue to work through our processes leading up to September 20. 

Mobile Safety App: Data Privacy and Security

Given the uniqueness of our college community, and in recognition that not everyone will have a Manitoba-issued immunization card, the College chose to use the Mobile Safety App, developed by AppArmor. 

The RRC Mobile Safety App provides a safe and secure solution for verifying proof of vaccination status (first dose or fully immunized) or an approved exemption. Click here to learn about the steps the College is taking to protect your health information. 

Respectful workplace

Teams across RRC have been working diligently to implement vaccine requirements on campus to maintain the health and safety of our College community. This is a significant change for all of us, and we want to remind you that everyone is entitled to a respectful working and learning environment.   

Please continue to be patient and respectful when working with the teams responsible for handling vaccine approvals, vaccine clinics, and the management and review of exemptions. Our community is working hard to support one another as we manage the pandemic and our health and safety protocols. 

Several people have reached out with thoughtful questions and concerns as we continue to work through the soft launch. We appreciate your support. We will continue to update the FAQ page as we receive questions. You’re encouraged to visit the FAQ section on the COVID-19 webpage. 

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate these processes to keep our campus community safe. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Safety Health Services at safety@rrc.ca

Melanie Gudmundson
RRC Chief Human Resource Officer

Mobile Safety App Data Privacy and Security Update

Posted: September 9, 2021

Given the uniqueness of our College community, and in recognition of the fact that not everyone will have a Government of Manitoba issued immunization card or digital QR code, the choice was made to use the RRC Mobile Safety App, developed by AppArmor.

The RRC Mobile Safety App provides a safe and secure solution for verifying proof of vaccination status (first dose or fully immunized) or an approved exemption.

Using the Mobile Safety App allows for a consistent approach for verification for anyone on-campus and allows us to reduce wait times at designated entry points as the vaccination (or approved exemption) status of our College community will be verified prior to attending campus.

The protection of your personal health information is a key priority. In selecting the Mobile Safety App to support this important work, the College has taken the following steps to protect your personal health information.

• College staff verifying RRC Vaccine Passport applications are trained and authorized to review immunization information in compliance with the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA).
• Once your application is approved, your personal health information will be removed from the app and stored securely by the College.
• RRC will not retrieve your information for purposes outside of verifying proof of vaccination (or approved exemption) status.
• The most recent rapid test result will remain on the app for those with an approved exemption status.
• All data that is not needed daily will be exported, removed, and securely stored following the standards outlined in PHIA. 

While we strongly encourage using the Mobile Safety App, verification to gain entry to all campuses by scanning a Manitoba Vaccine Passport will be available in the event you choose not to use the Mobile Safety App, or experience technical difficulties when you arrive on-campus.   

Click here to read the Mobile Safety App FAQs.

Important reminder about Campus access this week

Posted: September 7, 2021

Post has been updated – 09/13/2021

Thank you to all those who have already downloaded the RRC Mobile Safety App and began the vaccination verification process.

Those who have already entered their vaccination information will see that their status is “in-review,” in the app and we will be verifying everyone’s status this week. You will receive an email once this process is complete.

Those required to be on campus for teaching and learning activities this week will still be able to continue with their programs as planned, with their status “in-review,” and with all other health and safety measures in place, until the vaccination and testing requirement begins on September 20, 2021.

Soft Launch begins today

Beginning today, September 7^th, we will begin with a soft launch of the RRC Mobile Safety App to test out our entry and validation processes on-campus. As of Tuesday, entry to any of our campuses will only be allowed through the designated entrances.

We encourage the College community to begin using the app for access during the soft launch to help staff work through the verification and entry process. This will help us refine our processes to allow easy access for everyone attending the College. This is also an opportunity to become familiar with the designated entrances on-campus as well.

During the soft launch period from Sept 7 – 19 entry will still be permitted without the RRC Mobile Safety App. Your status may still be “in-review” during this time as we work towards verifying everyone’s information. Verification will be required on Sept 20^th.

Details on how to upload your proof of vaccination to the RRC Mobile Safety App are available here.

Update on student withdrawals and deferrals for Fall 2021 academic term

Posted: September 2, 2021

Red River College has made vaccinations a condition for students and employees to come on Campus for the fall term.

While we encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 within our community, this policy only applies to those students, employees and visitors who are coming on campus for in-person teaching, learning activities, events and work requirements. All other existing health and safety protocols remain in place.

Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing will be required for individuals attending campus who have received an approved exemption (medical, creed/religious, other). Exemptions are available for those who cannot be reasonably accommodated through remote work or online learning as a result of the essential on-campus delivery of their program.

Those who are not willing to be vaccinated and who will not agree to participate in asymptomatic testing, and whose programs require essential, hands-on learning on Campus will not be permitted on Campus and will have the option to withdraw, defer or pursue online studies (if available) from their programs as follows:

New Domestic Students:

• New students who wish to withdraw from their programs will be refunded their tuition fees paid and application fee upon withdrawal.
• New students wishing to defer their studies to next offering of program can do so for up to one year. Students selecting this option will have their seat deposit and any tuition retained in their student’s account and applied to tuition upon re-start.
  • Deferral is recommended for those students who may be waiting to get into a high demand program.

Please note: students who wish to begin their studies through courses or classes that are offered in an online format only are encouraged to explore course availability with their program area. Depending on the program and online course components available, this may not be an option for some students.

New International students:

• Existing policies apply will apply to new international students. Students can defer, but there will be no refunds upon withdrawal.

Returning students:

• Returning students can complete a form requesting a leave from their studies for the fall term.
  • Please note, if you would like to take the fall term off, we cannot guarantee you will be able to resume your studies in the winter term. You may have to wait until Fall 2022 to resume full-time studies, depending on pre-requisites and seat availability. Please discuss this option with your program area and the Registrar.
• Any tuition paid towards the upcoming academic year will be refunded.

Please note: students who wish to continue their studies through courses or classes that are offered in an online format only are encouraged to explore course availability with their program area. Depending on the program and online course components available, this may not be an option for some students.

 

Students wishing to withdraw, defer or pursue online studies should make arrangements with the Registrar no later than September 10, 2021 as many programs are now well underway. If you wish to pursue withdrawing or deferring from your program, please contact register@rrc.ca

 

RRC announces COVID-19 vaccine fall on-campus clinic dates

Posted: August 30, 2021

Post has been updated – 09/13/2021

Red River College continues to support students and staff access COVID-19 vaccines, which is why we will host multiple upcoming clinics at our Notre Dame and Exchange District Campuses over the coming weeks.

Read More →

Update on Vaccine Exemptions

Posted: August 27, 2021

Post has been updated – 09/17/2021

Beginning at the end of September, asymptomatic COVID-19 testing will be required for individuals attending campus who have received an exemption or have chosen not to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and who cannot be reasonably accommodated through remote work or online learning as a result of the essential on-campus delivery of their program.

The College will conduct all COVID-19 testing under the guidance and direction of Public Health. Individuals who are exempted or unwilling to get a COVID-19 vaccine will be required to undergo regular testing up to three times a week.

Testing is only for asymptomatic members of our community who have an approved exemption.

Request for Vaccine Exemption

Red River College will consider on an individual basis requests for exemptions from students and employees who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

The College has a legal obligation to accommodate individuals requesting an exemption based on protected characteristics including medical grounds or religion/creed based.

Those who have chosen not to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and who cannot be reasonably accommodated through remote work or online learning as a result of the essential on-campus delivery of their program, may also request an exemption categorized as “other.”

Click here to request medical exemption form.

Click here to request religious / creed-based exemption form.

Click here to request “other” exemption form.

Asymptomatic Testing

To support members of our community who have an approved exemption with asymptomatic testing requirements, the College is supplying at-home COVID-19 testing kits and providing training on how to self-administer rapid tests.

There is no cost to RRC students and employees for the rapid COVID-19 testing kits. Should the administration and delivery of asymptomatic testing change, the College will provide reasonable notice to support you in your on-campus teaching, learning, and work requirements.

Please note that training on how to administer the nasal swab rapid tests is required in order to receive your asymptomatic testing kit. Training sessions led by RRC Safety and Health Services are currently available at the Notre Dame Campus.

Click here to book your training.

For alternate training dates (or for staff and students attending regional campuses) please email Safety and Health Services at safety@rrc.ca

Update: Vaccination requirements on Campus this Fall

Posted: August 25, 2021

Post has been updated – 09/13/2021

Last week, Red River College announced that COVID-19 vaccinations would be required for students, employees, individuals living in residence, and visitors to come on any campus for the fall term.

Work is underway to update our COVID-19 policy to support our vaccine requirement for the fall. As that work is being finalized, we are providing the following update outlining our approach to verifying immunization status and the use of asymptomatic COVID-19 testing on-campus. As part of our approach, asymptomatic COVID-19 testing will only be available for individuals who have been granted an exemption or indicated they will not receive the vaccine and cannot be reasonably accommodated through online learning or remote work.

Verifying Vaccination Status 

The College will use the RRC Mobile Safety App, designed by App Armour, to verify vaccination status for our College community. This additional step will ensure a consistent approach to confirm immunization status for everyone on-campus and allow those members of our College community — who cannot receive a provincial immunization card currently — the necessary validation to attend activities on-campus.

Using the Mobile Safety App will ensure that the College is able to support members of our community who will be required to provide a negative test result to attend on-campus activities due to an exemption as well.

The app will be updated in the coming weeks with an easy-to-use interface that will allow users to upload their vaccine records safely and securely to Safety Health Services. The Mobile Safety App will provide a digital vaccine passport that will be verified upon entry starting September 20, 2021.

The Mobile Safety App is a safe and secure solution that will protect all personal health information. Many post-secondary institutions have worked with App Armour to provide this service for their campus communities.

RRC’s Mobile Safety App is free to download on your smartphone or mobile device, and we encourage all staff and students to download the app as soon as possible.

More information and instructions on how to upload your immunization record to obtain an RRC vaccine passport will be shared next week through Staff and Student News and at our Coronavirus Information page.

Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing: 

Beginning at the end of September, asymptomatic COVID-19 testing will be required for individuals attending campus who have received an exemption or have chosen not to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and who cannot be reasonably accommodated through remote work or online learning as a result of the essential on-campus delivery of their program.

The College will conduct all on-campus COVID-19 testing under the guidance and direction of Public Health. Individuals who are exempted or unwilling to get a COVID-19 vaccine may be required to undergo regular testing up to three times a week.

On-campus testing is only for asymptomatic members of our community who have an approved exemption. All members of our College community are still expected to screen for COVID-19 symptoms prior to attending campus. If you are symptomatic, you must attend a provincial COVID-19 test site and follow all public health directives and RRC COVID-19 protocols.

More information for on-campus asymptomatic testing protocols will be available next week.

Applying for Exemptions: 

The College has a legal obligation to accommodate individuals requesting an exemption based on protected characteristics. Those who have asked for information on exemptions will be able to complete a form for review and consideration. This form will be available online by Friday, August 27^th , and shared via Staff and Student News and made available at www.rrc.ca/coronavirus.

Important Reminders: 

Individuals must obtain their first dose no later than September 20, 2021 and ensure that they obtain and provide proof of a second dose by Sunday, October 17, 2021, for continued on-campus access.

All current COVID-19 protocols, including the use of the daily self-screening tool, masks and physical distancing, remain in effect.

We know that many students and staff will be beginning their classes this upcoming Monday, August 30^th and have reached out with questions regarding the vaccination policy and Campus access.

Those required to be on campus for teaching and learning activities will be able to continue with their programs as planned, with all other health and safety measures in place, until the vaccination and testing requirement begins on September 10, 2021.

Those who choose not to pursue their studies this term and would like to request information about withdrawing or deferring their program will be provided more information by the end of this week.

If you have questions, please contact safety@rrc.ca

Red River College requires COVID-19 vaccine on campus for fall term

Posted: August 19, 2021

Post has been updated – 09/13/2021

From the onset of the pandemic, Red River College has made the health and safety of our students, staff and community our priority.

This has included limiting capacity to essential activities, implementing a mandatory mask mandate in advance of public health orders, and distributing level three masks to address wide-spread issues surrounding variants of concern, along with a robust internal contact tracing protocol to relieve pressure on public health and notify our community sooner to keep them safe.

That’s why today, we are announcing that the College will make vaccinations a condition for students and employees to come on Campus for the fall term, starting Monday, September 20, 2021. The vaccine requirement on Campus will be a staged approach, with first doses required by September 20, 2021 and the second by October 17, 2021. All other existing health and safety protocols we currently have in place will remain.

This policy will include students living in RRC’s residence and employees working at all campuses in Winnipeg and at our Regional Campuses.

Over the past year, we have been on the leading edge of implementing public health restrictions that have met or exceeded all recommendations from Manitoba Public Health. That approach has allowed the College to create a safe working and learning environment while delivering the hands-on training our workforce depends on.

Red River College is Manitoba’s largest College, and applied learning is integral to our program delivery. With the plan for increased support and services being offered on Campus this fall, we have a duty to ensure the health and safety of our students and employees within our institution. We are taking another proactive measure to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern in our community.

To be clear, we are not mandating anyone to get a vaccine. We will continue to respect medical and religious/creed-based exemptions upon presentation of appropriate documentation, and a process for this is in development.

COVID-19 vaccines are free and widely available to everyone over the age of 12 in Manitoba, and they are the most effective tool we have to protect one another and end this pandemic.  This vaccine requirement is an additional measure we are taking as a College to protect the health and safety of our community.

Since the very beginning of the pandemic, we have been leaders, and we stepped up to respond to the needs of our health care system and community when they needed it the most. This included developing micro-credential training courses like the Nasopharyngeal Sample Collection, Laboratory Essentials for COVID-19 Testing, Health Care Support Worker, and COVID-19 Vaccine Administration.

We must continue to lead by example.

We are making this decision today with support from Manitoba Public Health encouraging all eligible Manitobans to get vaccinated, and with the overwhelming support from our community to take action and do their part to get vaccinated as soon as possible – to date exceeding vaccination milestone targets weeks in advance with, 81.0% of Manitobans receiving with their first dose and 74.6% fully immunized.

We will continue to support students and staff who need to access vaccines before the beginning of our fall semester. Our Health Centre is planning to have the COVID-19 vaccine available for anyone at our campuses this fall to help remove barriers to access, and to date, we have offered two vaccine clinics on Campus. The College also supports up to three hours of paid leave for staff and faculty to receive a vaccination or to support those who are taking a dependent to their vaccine appointment.

Over the next week, we will be working on the details of the vaccination policy and procedures, but we wanted to provide as much notice as possible as we prepare for the start of the fall 2021 term.

We are proud of the work that has been done and the commitment from this community to continue to go above and beyond to protect one another, and we are confident that this is one more thing we can all do reduce the risks of COVID-19 and to get back to the things we love.

If you have any questions about this announcement or for more information about where you can go for more information about vaccines, please contact safety@rrc.ca or click here to visit our FAQ page.

Thank you for continuing to do your part to keep each other safe.

Fred Meier
RRC President and CEO

Melanie Gudmundson
RRC Chief Human Resource Officer