As we approach Monday, May 11, and the scheduled move to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 as outlined by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, many of you may wonder what that means for Memorial.

At this point, none of the restrictions currently in place at Memorial will change if the Level 4 status is implemented by the province on May 11.

Work has been ongoing for some time to develop scenarios for a phased resumption of academic, research and administrative activities and those scenarios are now being reviewed in light of the five-level approach announced last Friday by government.

For now, all functions that can continue remotely will remain remote. Given that so many of our functions depend on multiple areas of the organization to operate, the implications of any resumptions must be reviewed with this lens.

When plans have been finalized for various milestones including fall semester, return of employees to campus and resumption of research activities, they will be phased in, based on public health advice and government’s five alert level guidelines, and communicated broadly.

We recognize that we must remain nimble to respond to evolving changes that may happen on short notice.

Living with COVID-19 in our province will continue to require all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians follow the recommended public health measures for the foreseeable future.

We implore you to continue to utilize these measures, stay home where possible and stay safe.