As some students head home for Thanksgiving, 1 Western student explains why she won't be
Sara Jabakhanji | CBC News | Posted: October 10, 2020 9:00 AM | Last Updated: October 10, 2020
'It just didn't seem like a safe option for myself, my family or the community'
As many post-secondary students head back to reunite with their families in other parts of Ontario for Thanksgiving, one Western University student opting to stay says it was a difficult but necessary choice to make.
Just before the weekend, Ontario saw a record-high number of COVID-19 cases Friday with 939 new cases across the province. The second day in a row the province sees record-breaking daily figures, trumping the previous record of 797 set Thursday.
This comes as health officials continue to urge families, students and all individuals to not mix households this weekend.
Hope Mahood, a third-year student who lives off campus in London, Ont. says she will not be going to visit her family this long weekend in Toronto.
"It was a difficult choice to make, but ultimately I didn't see any other option," Mahood said in an interview on CBC's Afternoon Drive.
"It just didn't seem like a safe option for myself, my family or the community."
Mahood, the coordinating editor at the school's student newspaper, the Western Gazette, said the majority of students she spoke with are heading home this long weekend, including those whose hometowns are in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
She says although she understands how crucial it is for her to avoid going back to Toronto, she knows some students are longing to be home after weeks away from their families.
The vast majority of students are being careful especially after the school's recent outbreak, she said.
"I can understand where [students] are coming from, I think it's been a really tough couple of months," Mahood said. "I see after weeks and weeks away from their families, that need to go home."
Many students planned to get tested for COVID-19 prior to reuniting with their families, but an announcement from the provincial government changed that.
In September, the province announced strict guidelines for testing, due to increasing demand and insufficient testing capacity. Only those with symptoms or who have had direct contact with an individual who tested positive are permitted to get tested.
That means students with no symptoms would not be eligible.
'Stakes this weekend are as high as they've ever been'
In a letter to students, Western's President Alan Shepard urged students to follow the advice of Middlesex-London Health Unit to stay in London this weekend. He also urged students to avoid non-essential travel, especially to cities with the most cases in Ontario and Quebec: Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and the Greater Toronto Area, including Peel Region.
"I encourage you to heed the advice of the health unit, but if you do travel, I strongly advise you to limit your interactions to your immediate family. Wear a mask, practice physical distancing, and wash your hands to protect yourself and those around you," Shepard said in the letter.
On Thursday, London Mayor Ed Holder also voiced the same concern for students wanting to visit their parents in the provincial hotspots.
"Stay home, don't travel, stick to members of your household only," Holder told CBC London. "The stakes this weekend are as high as they've ever been and we cannot afford to get this wrong."
'It's definitely going to be lonely'
"As tough as that is, there's a greater good with all of this and it requires all of us, not just some of us, to do the right thing," the mayor said.
"It's definitely going to be lonely," said Mahood. "It has been a tough couple weeks and ultimately being with my family is comforting."
Mahood said she will talk to her family over Zoom this weekend to keep her company. Her mother is also trying to organize an online Mario Kart race for the family to play together.
"It is a holiday, but it's also three days and I'm really hoping maybe we could work something out for Christmas break."