“The University of Ottawa has maintained an excellent record of low COVID numbers on our campus, and the pre-screening tool is a critical piece contributing to this continued success,” explained Michael Histed, Director of the Office of Risk Management.
Five reasons to use the tool
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In addition to safety measures such as face coverings, limiting gatherings and physical distancing, the tool offers another measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. By using the uOttawa-specific tool to self-screen before every visit, even if you are attending the campus daily, you do your part to keep our community safe.
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The tool gathers statistics about the number of people attending the campus and does not store any personal information (read the app privacy policy). This information can be used by the University to design plans and procedures for our gradual return to campus, and to sustain available services for those on campus.
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Aggregate reports from the tool facilitates the University’s requirements to meet the Government of Ontario’s COVID-19 regulations, including obligations for meeting capacity to ensure physical distancing.
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The more campus visitors using the tool, the better the University can monitor trends and address the needs of the community.
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If you must come to campus, completing the assessment before every visit will help to lower your risk of COVID-19 transmission and that of all community members. It is a daily one-minute assessment to review your personal health before visiting the University and, if appropriate, prioritizing your health and receiving guidance for possible symptoms.
Kudos to those who have already started using the tool and have contributed to over 5,852 assessments since February 16! If you are visiting the campus, complete your self-assessment through SecurUO or from the self-assessment tool webpage.
The creation and launch of the assessment tool was rapidly and efficiently realized in response to prioritizing the health of those that need to study, research or work on campus. It was a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the Office of Risk Management, Protection Services, Human Resources, Communications Directorate, Facilities, and multiple Information Technology teams to meet the needs, requirements and perspectives of the community, now and into the future. Of the partnership, Michael Histed said, “I would like to thank those members of IT who put this tool together in record time so that the University could meet its obligations in helping fight this pandemic. I very much enjoyed working with this group, and very much appreciate their enthusiasm and professionalism to produce a first-class, easy-to-use tool. Thank you again.”