Rutgers updates travel advisory due to pandemic

Rutgers officials sent a University-wide email announcing updates to the University’s travel advisory in accordance with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Chancellor Brian L. Strom and Senior Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Vicente Gracias said the CDC issued a “Warning Level 3 – Avoid Non-Essential Travel” notice on Sept. 16 to include countries and territories with sustained COVID-19 transmission, according to the email.

“The rate of transmission and percent positivity in New Jersey and at Rutgers remains low, therefore it is imperative that we do all we can to maintain a low level of transmission and protect our community,” they said, according to the email. 

Strom and Gracias said University employees or students are not allowed to return to campus for 14 days after traveling to one of the areas included in the CDC’s Level Three advisory, according to the email. 

They said students whose academic or clinical activities will be impacted by this guidance will be responsible for notifying their administrators, according to the email. They said administrators should work with students to see if remote accommodations can be made for this 14 day period. 

Strom and Gracias also said students should consider returning to New Jersey early if they are needed on campus by a certain date to ensure they have time to quarantine for 14 days beforehand, according to the email. Students also must contact their Residence Life office if they are planning to live in on-campus housing.

Supervisors are encouraged to work with their employees who are affected by this advisory to determine if telecommuting is possible, they said, according to the email. 

This new advisory is a supplement to restrictions issued on July 31, preventing students or employees from returning to campus for 14 days after visiting an area included in the New Jersey Travel Advisory, they said, according to the email. Both CDC and state advisories are updated weekly, so Strom and Gracias said travelers should check these lists frequently.