As students of Wilfrid Laurier University, we feel that by continuing in-person classes and midterms we are putting our health at risk. With three cases and counting of the coronavirus in Waterloo, we feel that the university needs to take more proactive steps to ensure the safety and security of students, both physically and mentally.

Following the recent enactments of the Ontario Ministry of Education in the public sector, we believe that the university should be taking similar proactive measures. Universities across the United States, as well as Laurentian University, Western University, and Huron at UWO have moved classes online in order to protect their student's wellbeing. The COVID-19 virus is considered a global pandemic and is spreading at alarming rates. Being in lectures filled with hundreds of other people puts students and staff at risk of catching the novel coronavirus if a student happened to be affected unknowingly. The novel coronavirus has similar symptoms as the flu which means many cases can go undetected and makes it increasingly difficult to ensure both the safety and security of both students and staff on campus.

This isn't a petition to disrupt the operations of the university, it's a petition to ensure that students and staff at Laurier are safe and can continue to learn in an environment that is controlled.