Toronto relaxes COVID-19 rink rules as winter activities move ‘toward normal’
Updated Aug. 13, 2020
With the growing coronavirus pandemic still impacting the nation’s economy, the University of Virginia issued a statement on Monday, announcing the University of Toronto will increase its number of daily ice rinks beginning April 13, 2020, to the number of rinks that are currently used at the university’s ice rinks per month. The announcement by UVA is the first major university to make such a move. The statement said UTA members will be free to use as many rinks as they like and UTA students and employees will continue to receive full access to UVA’s ice rinks. UTA has been actively advocating for a change in rink conditions for weeks now.
“It was our top priority to offer a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff and to protect other users whenever possible,” the UVA statement said. “We believe students should be able to enjoy our ice rinks without fear of physical contact from other users during our regular times.”
The statement continued that the University of Toronto wants to make sure students and staff will feel safe and comfortable wherever they go. The university also recognized the importance of all users of the ice rinks receiving access, and will not change the rules that allow students and staff to have access to the ice rinks and to have access to the facility itself. University of Toronto employees will continue to have access to the ice rinks, and UVA members will still be able to use the facilities all during non-game hours.
The University of Toronto said it is happy to receive the UVA’s statement and the feedback that the UVA provided.
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