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Message from President Graham Carr on Concordia’s first cases of COVID-19

‘Our foremost thoughts go out to those individuals and their family and friends’
April 1, 2020
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By Graham Carr


Dear members of the Concordia community,

We learned yesterday that some members of the Concordia community have tested positive for COVID-19. Each person was immediately put under the care of Quebec’s health authorities, the Direction de Santé Publique, and advised to self-isolate.

Our foremost thoughts go out to those individuals and their family and friends. I know you will all join me in wishing them a full and speedy recovery.

These are the first known cases in our community. Given our size — nearly 60,000 faculty, staff and students — the increase in testing and the lengthening duration of the crisis, perhaps it was inevitable that some cases would occur. It is conceivable that others may occur in the future.  

No doubt some of you are wondering whether you could have been in contact with these individuals.

We are assured that public health authorities will communicate directly with anyone who is considered a contact. If you have not been contacted, you are not considered to be at risk.

We realize that some of you may want to send messages of support to the individuals in question. Out of respect for personal privacy, and in adherence to privacy laws, please understand that we cannot share personal health information about any member of our community.

As we have done from the outset, we ask above all that you respect the advice of our public health authorities. If you have been instructed to self-isolate by public health authorities, we also ask that you complete the self-isolation form housed on MyConcordia.

We know this news is distressing at a time when there is already a high level of anxiety in our population. Please know that we are here to support you in any way that we can. Despite our campuses being closed, many mental health resources remain available to you.

Please check Concordia’s COVID-19 information page which is updated regularly. Any questions you may have can be directed to covid19info@concordia.ca.

Our thanks go out to health care workers and all who are working selflessly to help surmount this crisis. And we admire all of you in our community who are showing such great support, courage and resilience in helping us to navigate this difficult moment in the world’s history.


Keep well,

Graham Carr
President and Vice-Chancellor




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