Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) UPDATES 

Always check below websites for the most updated information.

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World Health Organization (WHO)

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Canada Public Health

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html               

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Nova Scotia Public Health

https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/

April 26, 2023

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Nova Scotia is currently experiencing a rise in COVID cases and the government is asking people to stay at home if possible, in order to limit community spread. New restrictions are in place – bars, restaurants, gyms, and hair and nail salons are all closed for 4 weeks. Retail stores have reduced capacity for shoppers, and we are all being asked to limit our shopping trips to essential items only. We are also not allowed to travel outside our local area. In Halifax, we are allowed to socialize with a maximum of 5 people (and that includes our family members).

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In order to protect our students, staff, and community, ECLC has switched to online classes starting today and will re-assess the situation at the end of this week. The lockdown in Nova Scotia is currently scheduled for 4 weeks but we are hoping that if numbers of cases start to reduce, we might be able to open earlier. However, we should all be prepared for a 4-week closure. We will re-open as soon as we can safely do so.

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March 3, 2021 

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We have good news to report today! The Nova Scotia government has announced that the total number of days for quarantine will be 14 days (if there is no positive COVID test in that time). This means that when students have completed 3 days of quarantine at their port of entry, and if they have not tested positive for COVID, they can continue their journey to Nova Scotia and will be required to complete only 11 days of quarantine here.

The Study Safe Corridor Package prices are adjusted to reflect this change and you can find it here: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/20294/halifax-hotels-11/.

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February 26, 2024

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Check out this useful and easy to follow infographic reflecting the new COVID-19 measures!

February 24, 2024

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Starting on February 22, 2021, in addition to previous requirements, all travellers arriving by air (unless exempt), including international students, will also be required to:

• submit their travel, contact, and suitable quarantine plan information, as well as a COVID-19 symptom self-assessment, electronically using ArriveCAN before boarding their flight; 

• provide confirmation that they have pre-booked and pre-paid for their required three-night stay at a government-authorized accommodation (GAA). A list of hotels can be found here: COVID-19 mandatory hotel stopover: Booking and list of government-authorized hotels - Canada.ca

• take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival;

  • Go to a GAA until they receive confirmation of a negative result from the test conducted on arrival in Canada; and

• take a COVID-19 molecular test later during their 14-day mandatory quarantine period, as instructed.

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Any traveller who refuses to take a COVID-19 test on arrival may be subject to a $3,000 fine.

You can read the full announcement and requirements here: 

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice/mandatory-hotel-stay-air-travellers.html

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January 4, 2024

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Starting on January 7th, 2021, the Government of Canada has announced that “all air passengers five years of age or older will be required to test negative for COVID-19 before travelling from another country to Canada.”

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You can read the full announcement here: https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2020/12/pre-departure-covid-19-testing-and-negative-results-to-be-required-for-all-air-travellers-coming-to-canada.html

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This means that all incoming international students who travel to Canada on or after January 7th will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

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December 14, 2023

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We are very happy to announce that ECLC will once again be offering in-person classes when our new term starts on January 4th, 2021. The classroom and the school will be a bit different from our pre-COVID classes, and it is important that students understand this before they register. The classes will be a hybrid model and will cater to both in-class students and online students.

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Hybrid Classes

Classes may include some students studying in the classroom with the teacher and some students studying online in their home countries or in other parts of Canada. All students and the teacher will be logged into their classes online (on laptops, tablets, or phones) and must bring headsets to school. Classes will have a camera and a TV screen set up so teachers and students can see each other regardless of whether they are in the classroom or in their houses.

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Safety rules for classes

If you come to ECLC to study, you will be required to wear a mask at all times (unless you are sitting at your desk) and you will be required to follow physical distancing rules and all other health and safety rules mandated by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. These rules can change very quickly and may be different from the time you register to the time you arrive. ECLC is not responsible for any changes, and by registering at ECLC, you accept that classes may be delivered in-person or online. You will not be eligible for a refund if you register for one method of delivery (e.g.in-person classes) and when you arrive at ECLC you receive another (e.g. online classes). In either case, you will receive high-quality language training. Our virtual class students have reported a 95% satisfaction rating with our online courses, which are entirely teacher led, unlike many other language schools.

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Socializing in school

Because of the ongoing COVID health regulations, our student lounge will not be open to students. You will not be able to use ECLC’s fridges, microwaves, dishes, silverware, or kettles. You must eat your lunch at your desk or go out of the school to eat. As rules are changing frequently depending on the COVID situation in Nova Scotia, you will be provided with detailed instructions about the current health and safety rules when you arrive.

We look forward to welcoming you to ECLC soon!

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November 30, 2023

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Last week, the Nova Scotia government announced new measures to protect us all from COVID-19 as we have seen a rise in the number of cases in Halifax. Our numbers are still very low, but our government is being very cautious. All bars, restaurants, gyms, libraries, as well as some other businesses have been ordered to close for 2 weeks. These restrictions are currently in place until December 9th.

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Nothing has changed for ECLC. We continue to offer our classes online to students both in Halifax and those still in their home countries. Students can register for upcoming classes and must use the Study Safe Corridor TRAVEL SAFE program if they wish to come to Nova Scotia. Here is the link to the booking site: https://www.languagescanada.ca/en/travel-safe

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There is also a User guide here: https://www.languagescanada.ca/web/default/files/covid19/study-safe-corridor/travel-safe/User%20Guide%20-%20Study%20Safe%20Corridor%20-%20TRAVEL%20SAFE%20.pdf

We are looking forward to welcoming students through the Study Safe Corridor TRAVEL SAFE program!

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November 3, 2023

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We are very happy to report today that ECLC is now on the IRCC list of approved institutions! This is fantastic news as it means that students who are granted a study permit and have a Letter of Acceptance from ECLC, can come to study with us. Here is the link to the IRCC page: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/students/approved-dli.html  You will find us in the Post-Secondary School category. Students must quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Nova Scotia in an approved hotel. We will be providing further details of the travel and quarantine packages in the next few days. We look forward to seeing you soon!

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October 27, 2023

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Today, Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education (LAE) issued a press release stating that language schools and post-secondary DLI’s in the province will be able to welcome international students again very soon. ECLC has received approval from the NS government and will be on the IRCC list of approved institutions on November 3rd. Great news!

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Here is the link to the press release: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20201027002

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October 23, 2023

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We have very good news to report today! We have received confirmation that ECLC has been approved by the Nova Scotia government to receive international students again. We will be listed on the IRCC website as an approved institution when they next update their site (probably on November 3rd). We are looking forward to welcoming students soon!

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October 21, 2023

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IRCC has updated its website with the list of approved DLIs that can now welcome international students. You can find the list here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/students/approved-dli.html

Unfortunately, you will not find any Nova Scotia institutions on the list. This is because the Nova Scotia government departments are being extremely cautious, and slow, about granting approval to both the public and private language schools, colleges, universities, and K to12 schools. This is very disappointing for ECLC, and we understand how disappointing it is for our agents, and our students.

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Since July of this year, ECLC has been working very hard to get our school on the list. Our President, Sheila, has spent many hours in meetings with both Nova Scotia government departments and Federal government representatives. In addition, she has worked closely with Languages Canada and EduNova to ensure that language schools are heard and represented in discussions about the IRCC approval process.

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We will continue to fight to get ECLC on the list of approved institutions and will update you as soon as we have more positive news. As always, we look forward to welcoming students back to ECLC when our government allows it.

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October 5, 2023

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International students will be allowed to enter Canada starting on October 20th, if they are attending an approved institution!!

An approved institution means that the school’s re-opening health and safety plan has been approved by the provincial government. ECLC submitted our plan in August to the Nova Scotia government. We are expecting to receive approval very soon so that ECLC will be on the list of approved institutions. ECLC will not be accepting any new minor students travelling to Canada at this time. This is because students must be adults to agree to the health and safety requirements and to understand the consequences if they break the rules. However, minor students can continue to attend our virtual classes from their home country. We are looking forward to safely welcoming students to Nova Scotia, Halifax, and ECLC!

Below is the link to the update on the IRCC website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/students.html

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October 1, 2023

We realize that we have not been posting regular updates on our website. This is because there hasn’t been much news to report since the end of July. It has all been good news! The COVID situation in Nova Scotia has been very stable with very few new cases throughout the summer. We are currently living in an “Atlantic Bubble”. This means that people who live in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland can travel freely between the provinces without needing to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. Everyone else coming into the Atlantic Bubble either from other parts of Canada or from another country must self-isolate for 14 days. Most universities and colleges are offering their classes online for the fall. The plans for January are still unclear. We are still practicing social distancing, masks are still mandatory, and businesses are mostly open with restrictions on the number of people who can enter at any one time.

ECLC continues to provide online classes to our students from around the world. In early September, we opened the school as a Learning Centre. This means that any students currently studying in Halifax, who would like to come to school to log on to their online classes can do so. We thought that students might like a change of scenery after studying at home for many months. However, it seems that most students are happy studying at home, so we have seen very few visitors. Teachers continue to teach from home and most administrative staff come into ECLC on a rotational basis. Yesterday the Canadian government announced that our borders will remain closed until at least October 31st.

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July 27, 2023

The Government of Nova Scotia has announced that on Friday July 31, wearing masks will become mandatory in all indoor places including shopping malls, restaurants and bars, communal areas in offices and schools, movie theatres, and ferry and bus terminals.

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July 24, 2023

Today masks became mandatory for anyone using public transit in Halifax. This means that if you travel by bus, ferry, or taxi, you must wear a mask. Good news this week! The Nova Scotia Government announced that all public schools will be open for in-person classes in September. However, the school environment will not look the same as before COVID-19; there will be new rules and health regulations in place. These will depend on what the health situation is like in Nova Scotia in September.

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July 15, 2023

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On July 14th 2020, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a number of temporary policy changes to support and reassure international students and learning institutions.

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The new measures include:

• providing priority study-permit processing for students who have submitted a complete application online, to ensure that permits are processed as quickly as possible

• providing reassurances to international students who cannot submit all of the documentation needed to complete processing of their applications, and who choose to pursue programs through distance learning, by implementing a temporary 2-stage approval process

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As services begin to reopen, applicants will be required to submit remaining documents and receive an approved study permit before being allowed to travel to Canada.

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This process is available to students starting a program in the fall semester who submit a study permit application before September 15, 2020. This measure will reassure students that they can enrol and begin their studies this fall online, even when they are not able to submit all required documentation due to pandemic-related closures.

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It is important for prospective students to note that commencing their studies online from abroad following approval-in-principle of a study permit application is not a guarantee that they will receive a full approval of their study permit application or be authorized to pursue their studies in Canada. It is still possible that an applicant could receive a negative final decision on their study permit based on factors such as inadmissibility for criminality or security reasons, and the inability to predict how the COVID-19 situation and any associated travel restrictions will evolve.

Read the full article here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2020/07/minister-mendicino-announces-changes-to-facilitate-online-learning-for-international-students.html

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July 10, 2023

What has ECLC done since March when the school closed?
• Full time live virtual classes, same curriculum, same outcomes
• Bi-weekly surveys with students
• Bi-weekly meetings and PD with instructors
• Frequent personal contact with students via phone, Facetime, emails, and Zoom
• Virtual social activities 2 to 3 times a week

What’s the current COVID situation in Nova Scotia?
• Health and safety measures still in place but many businesses are now open and operating under the new guidelines.
• Allowed to get together with 10 people with no social distancing inside or outside
• Can get together with a max of 50 people with social distancing.
• Masks recommended (but not mandatory yet) for indoors (shopping, transit, health care)
• We had no cases for more than 2 weeks at the end of June, but we have just had 2 new cases, both from travellers coming into the province.
• Canada’s borders will remain closed to international travellers until July 31st.

What is ECLC doing to help get borders open?
• We have written many letters to our government officials.
• We are working closely with Languages Canada and EduNova and government to try to get international students designated as essential travellers
• We have worked closely with Languages Canada to develop the Study Safe Corridor, a detailed procedure to ensure incoming students have a quarantine plan in place when they arrive in Canada.
• We have developed partnerships with specific hotels who will provide a complete quarantine package for 14 days.

What’s next for ECLC?
• The safety of our students, staff, and community are our top priority, so we will be taking things slowly.
• In July, we will be starting some in-person outdoor social activities.
• In August, we will be offering some small in-person classes in the school.
• In September, we hope to have most classes back in the school.
If I register for classes starting in September, can you guarantee I will receive in-person classes?
Our plan is to have in-person classes in September. However, we cannot guarantee that. It will depend on Nova Scotia’s

COVID-19 situation and the health and safety guidelines in effect at the time.

June 1, 2023

The Nova Scotia Government has announced that most businesses are allowed to re-open on Friday June 5th. However, the COVID-19 regulations are still in effect and will severely restrict how businesses operate. No more than 10 people can gather in one place and people must still stay 6 feet (2 meters) apart from each other. While these restrictions continue, it is not possible for ECLC to re-open for in-person classes. We take the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously and have, therefore, decided that we will continue with our live, virtual classes until the end of this term (July 31). At that time, we will re-assess based on the updated government guidelines. Please check back here for further updates.

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May 8, 2023

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The Nova Scotia Government has announced that public schools must remain closed until the new school year in September, 2020. We do not yet know what this means for ECLC. The Government is talking about lifting some restrictions soon, but there is no definite date and no details yet. Therefore, we will be continuing with our teacher-led virtual classes for at least the next month. We will update when the government makes more announcements.

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April 29, 2023

The Nova Scotia Government has announced that public schools must remain closed until at least May 15, 2020. This means that due to COVID-19 physical distancing rules, ECLC will also have to remain closed until that time. Therefore, we will be continuing with our teacher-led virtual classes until at least May 15th. We will update when the government makes more announcements.

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April 1, 2023

The Nova Scotia Government has announced that public schools must remain closed until at least May 1, 2020. This means that due to COVID-19 physical distancing rules, ECLC will also have to remain closed until that time. Therefore, we will be continuing with our teacher-led virtual classes until at least May 1st. We will update when the government makes more announcements.

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March 20, 2020 at 4:30 pm

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Thanks to all our students and teachers who took part in our live virtual classes this morning! Our first day was a success. Classes will start at 8:45 on Monday morning and will run for the full day.

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March 19, 2023 at 4:00 pm

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ECLC Live virtual classes will start at 8:45 Friday 20th. Students can log on with their computers, tablets, or phones.  

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March 18, 2023 at 4:00 pm

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No new updates today.

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March 17, 2023 at 5:00 pm

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Students: Please check your email accounts for information notices from ECLC. If you have not received an email, please send us an email to info@eclccanda.com

All textbooks will be available for pickup between 9 am and 3 pm tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18th. You can also pick up for your friend(s) to limit the number of people entering our college.  Material fees must be paid to receive.

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ECLC is closed until further notice, due to government policies surrounding COVID-19. These are unusual times and require extreme measures to keep everyone safe. We will be supporting students through online sessions and will be offering online learning. This website will be updated daily by 6 pm. Please check back.

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March 16, 2023 at 5:30 pm

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Students: Please check your email accounts for information notices from ECLC. If you have not received an email, please send us an email to info@eclccanda.com

Latest update from the Prime Minister today: Canada will close its borders to everyone except Canadian citizens and permanent residents. All students scheduled to start in March or April should contact us to delay their start date.

All textbooks will be available for pickup between 9 am and 3 pm tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17th. You can also pick up for your friend(s) to limit the number of people entering our college.  Material fees must be paid to receive.

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ECLC is closed until further notice, due to government policies surrounding COVID-19. These are unusual times and require extreme measures to keep everyone safe. We will be supporting students through online sessions and will be offering online learning. This website will be updated daily by 6 pm. Please check back.

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March 14, 2023

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East Coast Language College (ECLC) takes the health of its students, staff, and community seriously. Since we learned of the outbreak of the Coronavirus (now called COVID-19), we have been monitoring the Government of Canada’s health updates on the virus to ensure we are taking any necessary steps to protect our students and staff. We are also monitoring Nova Scotia’s government health site.

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We understand that both our potential and current students may be concerned about COVID-19 and the effect it may have on their study plans. We wanted to let everyone know that we are aware of the situation and are checking government sites daily for current health updates. It is important that we all keep ourselves informed from official, credible sources about the virus. 

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https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/travel-health-notices/221

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Upon return to Canada:

• Self-isolate for 14 days after your return from travel outside of Canada. Some provinces and territories may have specific recommendations for certain groups such as health care workers.

• Monitor your health for fever, cough or difficulty breathing.

• Wash your hands often for 20 seconds and cover your mouth and nose with your arm when coughing or sneezing.

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If you develop a fever, cough or difficulty breathing within 14 days:

• Continue to isolate yourself from others

• Immediately call a health care professional or public health authority and:

  • describe your symptoms and travel history​

  • follow their instructions carefully

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In addition, if you return from Italy, Iran, or Hubei province (China) you will be asked to contact the public health authority in the province or territory where you live or are staying within 24 hours of arriving in Canada and to provide your contact information.

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March 13, 2023

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COVID-19 Assessment Centres

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Nova Scotia has recently opened some COVID-19 Assessment centres where people who have an appointment can go to be tested for the virus. Please read the following guidelines from the Nova Scotia Health website.

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Nova Scotians who have travelled out of country and who develop a fever with a temperature of of 38°C or higher, and/or cough, should call 811.

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811 will provide direction on what to do next. If there is a need for in-person assessment, 811 will refer to a COVID-19 assessment centre.

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Please do not go to a COVID-19 assessment centre without having been referred by 811. We are working to be able to book specific appointment times in the coming days.

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Those directed to an assessment centre by 811 will then have a physical assessment on site and based on that a swab will be taken for patients for whom it is appropriate.

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For updated information on Coronavirus visit www.novascotia.ca/coronavirus and www.canada.ca/coronavirus

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Locations in Central Nova Scotia: (Halifax Regional Municipality, Eastern Shore and West Hants areas)

• Cobequid Community Health Centre

• Dartmouth General Hospital

• Halifax Infirmary

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