Feb 3, 2020
| Dear Campus Community,
On Jan. 30, 2020, University of California President Janet Napolitano directed the UC community to temporarily “avoid all non-essential travel” to China. As a result of this directive, the campus and medical center have developed a process to determine if travel to China is absolutely essential, or if it can be postponed. UCI faculty, staff, and students should also be aware that on Jan. 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 alert, its most severe warning, stating “do not travel to China due to the 2019-nCoV novel coronavirus.” In addition, commercial airline carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China making travel difficult. UC restrictions do not apply to travel that is solely personal, but such travelers should be aware of travel risks, and of federal government warnings on any type of travel to/from China. Approval Process Prior to Travel The UCI campus has an existing travel approval policy and process that applies to students. This policy and process are being temporarily extended to include faculty and staff travel to China. The Policy for Student International Activities – http://www.policies.uci.edu/policies/pols/420-10.php – includes a review process by the UCI International Risk Review Team which will temporarily include representation from UCI Health and the Academic Senate, as this policy is being extended to include faculty. During this time, anyone who believes their travel to China is essential should contact the UCI International Risk Review Team to request review and approval before travel. Please email global@uci.edu to request a review. As directed by President Napolitano, it is of the utmost importance that all faculty, staff, and students traveling abroad for university-related purposes register their international travel with the UC International Travel Registry https:/ehs.ucop.edu/away before their expected departure. This information must be kept up-to-date as changes occur before and during travel. Registration is an important step in reducing the risks of travelling abroad and helps keep the University community safe, especially in environments with heightened health risks such as coronavirus. For more information on coronavirus, please visit the following sites: Thank you for your cooperation. More information will be shared as it becomes available. Sincerely, Enrique J. Lavernia, Ph.D. |