U of T will continue to facilitate free access to quarantine spaces for students who are using the program for the first time, though students who have already quarantined through the university will have to pay slightly over $2,000 to use the service again.
Students returning to Canada after travelling abroad for winter break must quarantine for 14 days, as is mandated by the government of Canada. U of T began its quarantine program at the end of the summer, providing hotel accommodations, airport pickup, three meals a day delivered, and health checks at no costs for students.
Students who quarantined in the fall semester received an email from the university noting that they are not able to quarantine in a shared space such as a residence. If they need to quarantine for a second time, it will cost $2,065.41. If the quarantine occurs over winter break, it will cost $2,135.41.
Comparatively, students living in residence can choose to be relocated to CampusOne for the winter break, and accommodations for the three-week period will cost $300. A meal plan for the stay will also cost $300.
“Students will also be tested for COVID-19 in accordance with health guidelines,” a U of T spokesperson wrote in an email to The Varsity. “There are welcome kits stocked with such items as snacks, detergent, fabric face masks and digital thermometers.”
If students need financial assistance for the cost of the second quarantine, the university is directing them toward emergency grant programs. Students can apply for the quarantine program at starrez.utoronto.ca.
