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Reinstate the mask requirement at the University of Waterloo

The undersigned faculty members call on the University of Waterloo to reinstate the mask requirement in all indoor spaces on campus. 

Our reasoning is four-fold:

1.   As an institution of research, Waterloo has a responsibility to act on reliable data and on the most recent, authoritative research on COVID-19 and not simply public health policy.

2.   As an institution dedicated to equity, Waterloo must recognize that its current policy of voluntary masking is most likely to have negative consequences for marginalized members of our community. 

3.   As an institution dedicated to teaching and research, Waterloo must recognize that high rates of illness disrupt the work of students, staff, and faculty. 

4.   Finally, as a community, Waterloo must recognize that, in the face of a dangerous pandemic, collective, mandatory health policies are more effective, more just, and more inclusive than voluntary policies aimed at individuals. 

We elaborate on these assertions below:

1.     The University of Waterloo is a research institution. As such, the University cannot ignore the ample research on COVID-19, which shows clearly that even mild infections take a toll on the body and that reinfections dramatically increase the risks—even for otherwise healthy, vaccinated people—not only of severe outcomes but also of long-term damage to the brain, heart, and lungs, and of long COVID, which typically involves brain fog and cognitive dysfunction. Research also shows conclusively that the immunity conferred by vaccines and prior infections wanes and alone is insufficient protection. Only a quarter of Canadians have received a booster in the last 6 months. Public health guidelines emphasize the need for a layered approach that includes vaccinations, improvements in ventilation, regular testing, and widespread masking to prevent—and not just respond to—peaks in transmission. 

Moreover, COVID-19 transmission rates remain high: when UW removed its mask requirement in January 2023, transmission rates were higher than they were when the University reintroduced the mask requirement in November 2022. Since then, more immune-evasive variants have appeared and the health care system remains overtaxed. However, the University has not offered any specific data to indicate why masks should no longer be required.Research shows conclusively that two-way masking offers far better protection than one-way masking. If the University takes scholarly research seriously, two-way masking on campus is needed to fulfil its commitment in Policy 34 “to provide a safe work and study environment for its employees, students and visitors.”

2.     The University of Waterloo is committed to equity. A lack of widespread masking is increasing the barriers faced by many students, staff, and faculty from marginalized groups. Research shows that many disabled people and people with disabilities are at higher risk of negative outcomes from COVID-19. Research also shows that systemic racism leads to health disparities, including a greater burden of chronic illness in Indigenous and racialized communities, which increases risk of complications from COVID-19. Those who experience homophobia and transphobia when accessing health care are also at greater risk. 

Moreover, many in the UW community are care providers for babies and young children, who have limited or no vaccine options depending on age, or for older parents, who continue to have the highest death rate from COVID-19. This is work that still falls disproportionately on women. Despite Waterloo’s Policy 65: Equality in Employment,people with disabilities and health conditions, people from racialized communities, and women who are care providers are disproportionately excluded from spaces that do not require masks.

3.     University of Waterloo faculty are committed educators and researchers. Faculty cannot engage in quality research and education when we, our students, our teaching and research assistants, support staff, and our families are constantly sick. Research shows that, for many, COVID-19 infection leads to immune dysfunction. The repeated faculty illnesses that result are disruptive to courses and can result in loss of income for sessional faculty. They also delay research and curtail research opportunities. Frequent student absences can interrupt learning, increase stress and workload, strain mental health, delay degree progression, and disrupt the pedagogical integrity of our courses. 

4.     University of Waterloo is a community. Numerous health and safety improvements require compliance, from no-smoking in buildings to handling of dangerous substances in labs. The University should, of course, engage in a mass education campaign based on up-to-date research to increase voluntary masking, but this education must come alongside, and not in place of, a mask requirement. Relying on voluntary uptake alone results in less effective one-way masking. As faculty, we have a responsibility to model respect for research, equity, and community to our students and to the broader public and to counter harmful science and health misinformation. As members of a community, we do not want our individual choices to endanger or exclude others. We want to do our best—not just the bare minimum required by public health authorities—to make our community a safe and accessible place of teaching and research for all.