Aside from accessing their gym across Highway 2, Royal Military College officer cadets have been isolated on the university’s peninsula.

“(Officer cadets) will be restricted to the RMC peninsula to ensure their success, assist in slowing the spread of the virus, and lessen the impact to the health-care system,” RMC Commandant Brig.-Gen. Sebastien Bouchard wrote in an email to his school. “(The director of cadets) will be issuing further direction and guidance.”

There will be no outside visitors to the peninsula, including local food delivery services such as Skip The Dishes and UberEats. Pedestrian gates have also been closed.

Like the rest of Canadian Forces members, all travel outside of Canada, including to the United States is prohibited. Those returning from international travel must self-isolate for 14 days from the time they return.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance announced Friday that starting on Monday, only essential unit activities will continue within the Canadian Forces. The remainder of the personnel, including those at RMC, have been ordered to stay home until April 6.

“We have learned much from previous pandemics and are an incredibly busy armed forces that cannot afford to suffer significant temporary loss of our members to illness, nor can we be in a posture that contributes to the spread of the pandemic in Canada,” Vance said in a letter to personnel.

"To the Best Sailors, Soldiers, Aviators and Special Forces Operators in the World and your Families," JV @CFOperations #COVID19 #CAF

La version française sera publiée sous peu. pic.twitter.com/V8UONfwGLj — General Jonathan Vance (@CDS_Canada_CEMD) March 13, 2020

Bouchard wrote that RMC’s mission is to finish the academic year and to graduate the four-year class. He said that all activities to accomplish this will continue.

“With that in mind, we are actively planning for the remainder of the academic semester, including classes and examinations,” Bouchard wrote. “Presently, we are working to find ways to support a range of delivery methods as alternatives to face-to-face classes.

“More information about potentially moving to online courses and alternative delivery methods will be available soon, should this become necessary.”

The email states that final exams, convocation and the commissioning parade formats will be changing but the schedule has not.

“Should decisions be made to alter the schedule, we will communicate this,” the email states. “Format changes will be communicated at the appropriate time.”

scrosier@postmedia.com

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