Employee tests positive for travel-related Coronavirus

Oshawa, Ont. – A case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in connection with a Durham College (DC) employee who works in its administrative building, Campus Corners, located at the south-east corner of Simcoe Street and Conlin Road in Oshawa.

Late yesterday, DC was advised the employee had tested positive for travel-related COVID-19. After returning to work on March 16 the employee began to feel ill and went home in the afternoon. Since that time, they have not returned to campus and have been in self-isolation.

The college communicated the development last night to students and employees via email.

“Our thoughts are with our DC employee and their family as they self-isolate and recover,” said college President Don Lovisa. “We are proud this employee followed the guidelines of monitoring their symptoms and subsequently staying at home because they felt unwell. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, we continue to work closely with public health authorities to stay informed of the latest guidance and directives so we can all work together to protect the health and safety of our students, employees and greater college community.”

Public health has identified and is in the process of contacting those individuals who had direct interactions with the employee and is providing further direction and instructions.

“From day one, doing our part to help control the spread of COVID-19 has been a priority,” said Lovisa. “The college has taken extensive measures to do so including implementing enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols, transitioning to online course and service delivery for students, introducing a work-from-home model for employees and ultimately closing our campuses. I am inspired by the resolve of the DC community to help flatten the curve as we all navigate our way through this time of unprecedented change.”

Additional questions and answers, as well as the latest updates regarding the campus status can be found at www.durhamcollege.ca/coronoavirus.

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About Durham College

At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, we offer approximately 13,400 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and nine apprenticeship programs, including the Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management.

We enable students to develop the career-ready skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market by connecting them with expert faculty and offering quality programs. With a focus on experiential learning through field-placements, applied research, co-ops and other hands-on opportunities, DC grads have the skills and knowledge employers need.

The Oshawa campus features DC’s newest building, the Centre for Collaborative Education, which represents the college’s commitment to working with local business and community partners while bringing together local, Indigenous and global communities and members of key business sectors.

DC’s Whitby campus is home to the Skills Training Centre, where students receive hands-on training and instruction in industrial-grade shop labs for carpentry, HVAC, welding, elevating devices and crane operation, among others. The campus also features the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, which includes Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs.

For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.