The University of Lethbridge continued in its efforts to minimize the impact of the H1N1 Influenza virus by introducing a voluntary illness registry in the last week of September.

The initiative is the H1N1 Influenza Illness Registry and exists on a dedicated web page that can be accessed from various areas of the U of L's website. Just look for the Got Flu? icon and click to follow through to the web page.

The idea behind the registry is to assist the University in implementing the necessary actions regarding H1N1 on campus and to ensure that pro-active measures are in place to minimize the impact on University operations.

For students, staff and faculty, the registry asks that persons experiencing flu-like symptoms sign in with their unique University username and password information to indicate they are ill. For students, an automatic e-mail is then dispatched to their advisors and professors indicating that they will be away from class and may miss some activities.

Staff and faculty are expected to inform their supervisors that they are ill but are still urged to use the registry. The registry does not replace the terms and conditions of the Faculty Handbook, the APO Manual, the Exempt Support Staff Manual or the AUPE Collective Agreement.

As the medical system will be under heavy usage throughout the H1N1 Influenza situation, the application of doctor's notes for personal illness and for illness within immediate families for flu-like symptoms, as outlined on the H1N1 website, will not be required. Any questions that people may have regarding the reporting of their personal circumstances can be addressed through their supervisor and through Human Resources.

For further updates, continue to monitor the University's H1N1 Influenza website at: http://www.uleth.ca/ross/health_centre/h1n1.