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The Bulletin Brief is a news digest about the University of Toronto, compiled for staff and faculty.
Alumnus Paul Lem, the CEO of Spartan Bioscience, holds up his company's Spartan Cube. Photo by Alex Collier/Spartan Bioscience
Hello,
 
The Government of Ontario is teaming up with Spartan Bioscience, the biotech firm led by U of T alumnus Paul Lem, and purchasing more than 900,000 of their portable COVID-19 test kits. This follows news that Alberta Health Services struck a $9.5-million contract with Spartan Bioscience for 250 handheld devices and 100,000 test kits. Both purchases are pending Health Canada approval.
Staying present and connected
Steve Joordens. Photo by Ken Jones

• A new online course launched by U of T Scarborough’s Steve Joordens aims to help people manage their mental health during COVID-19. The free course teaches skills to cope with anxiety surrounding the pandemic and allows participants to join an online community at a time when many feel isolated.
 
• With many of us self-isolating, technology has become an integral part of our daily lives to maintain socially connection. U of T Mississauga’s Cosmin Munteanu, whose research focuses on aging adults’ use of technology, has identified ways tech can help foster connection through family storytelling, cultural history and virtual gatherings.

Updates from U of T

• New measures have been implemented to track the confirmed cases of COVID-19 among members in our community. The university is asking any employee who tests positive for COVID-19 to immediately report this result directly to U of T’s Occupational Health Nurse by email at ehs.occhealth@utoronto.ca.  

• All employees who are sick or who need to self-isolate should complete a self-declaration form after reporting their absence to their manager, supervisor or department head. The university will use this information to monitor the overall health of our community.

COVID-19 resources and more

• U of T’s SciNet has developed an open source R package to provide researchers access to the latest worldwide data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It contains live data reported by international health organizations for researchers to perform statistical analyses and visualizations. SciNet’s Marcelo Ponce is happy to work with researchers to develop this resource.
 
• The School of Cities has repurposed its Outreach and Engagement Small Grant Funds to address the physical distancing required to limit the spread of COVID-19. The funds will be available to support activities in which information and knowledge are shared virtually. This can include, for example, reports, short videos, online seminars and social media campaigns. These grants will apply to initiatives taking place between April and June.
 
• U of T Libraries are available to help support instructors as they plan to teach their classes remotely. Librarians are available to help with research resources, online learning materials, syllabus support and more.
 
• Visit Human Resources & Equity’s COVID-19 information page for the latest details on HR topics, such as pay continuity and remote work arrangements.

• Please continue to visit the central COVID-19 hub for the U of T community. The page is frequently updated with the latest relevant information. If your question was not answered in any of the resources above, you may also submit questions through the Contact Us button on the FAQs. Questions will be routed to the appropriate office and staff will respond as soon as possible.

Virtual events
• The financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can be scary and stressful. A webinar with a financial educator on April 7 will offer guidance on how to plan for emergency reduced income, manage your bills and work with creditors. Register online and a link to the webinar will be sent via email prior to the session.
 
• The Centre for Learning, Leadership and Culture is offering a virtual workshop on managing strategic priorities for leaders and managers. The pre-recorded workshop will be sent via email on April 15 and a follow-up live discussion and Q&A with the instructor will take place on April 23.
 
• Hart House has established an audiobook club that will hold weekly meetings starting April 16. The club will discuss Loorie Moore’s short story Community Life at its first meeting.   

Coping with stress
Please know that supports continue to be available to you, including the university’s Employee & Family Assistance Program. Human Resources & Equity has compiled a list of other wellness resources available to the community on their website; this list will be updated frequently. As a reminder, students have access to My SSP and other resources.

A final reminder that the University of Toronto continually updates our frequently asked questions related to COVID-19 and our community. 

This edition of the The Bulletin Brief was produced by University of Toronto Communications. The University of Toronto respects your privacy. We do not rent, trade or sell our mailing lists. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can subscribe, update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2018 University of Toronto. All rights reserved.