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Our number one priority at LSU is the health and welfare of our students, faculty, and staff. With this in mind, we continue to work closely with local, state and federal health officials to monitor developments related to the Novel Coronavirus, known as COVID-19. After careful consideration, and with the health of our academic community top of mind, effective immediately we are restricting international travel of faculty, staff and students. Anyone traveling or planning to travel outside the United States for university business or academic purposes, including study abroad or other international academic work, research or grant activity, service projects, internships, conferences, presentations, teaching or training, should be aware of the restrictions outlined in this memo. University Sponsored and Sanctioned Travel Students currently in study abroad programs in countries designated with Level 3 or Level 4 travel advisories by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) or the Center for Disease Control (CDC) due to the COVID-19 outbreak have already returned home and are under 14-day self-quarantine. Students in other countries are continuing their studies, unless or until travel advisories change. All international study abroad experiences going forward are canceled through August 17, 2020. Academic Programs Abroad (APA) is working with the Bursar’s office to reimburse students for fees they have already paid. If faculty members or students have purchased airline tickets, they should contact APA for instructions about reimbursement. Faculty, staff, and students who have previously been approved for any international travel, or who plan to travel prior to August 17, 2020, must have travel reapproved through the High Risk Travel process. Travel to countries with Level 3 or Level 4 travel advisories will not be approved. At this point, travel to other countries will be approved, but it’s important to keep in mind the global scenario is rapidly evolving and therefore may result in a change in approval status. It’s also possible that domestic cities may introduce heightened travel advisories. All university-sponsored travel must be approved via a Spend Authorization prior to departure or the university will not be responsible for the reimbursement of expenses. Questions about international travel should be directed to Patrice Gremillion in Accounts Payable and Travel (pgremill@lsu.edu), and travelers should work with the unit sponsoring their travel to recoup expenses for canceled trips. It will be up to the discretion of the sponsoring unit to consider reimbursement for travel that has been approved but for which the traveler personally decides to cancel. If you are currently abroad on university-sponsored business, you should be aware of the travel status in your area and any accompanying travel advisories. Should the area be elevated in status you will be required to return to the U.S. For further travel information if this situation arises, contact Patrice Gremillion (pgremill@lsu.edu). Students, faculty, and staff who are returning from any country or region that has been designated with Level 3 or 4 travel advisories are prohibited from returning to any and all university campuses, facilities, and activities during a 14-day period from the date of departure from that country, and may not return to campus unless they are asymptomatic for that period. As required by the Presidential Directive addendum to PM-13, employees and students must present a release to return to work from their personal physician or the Student Health Center. If you have returned from an area where COVID-19 is spreading, you should monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days and take your temperature twice a day. If you develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 100⁰ F or more) please stay home and self-isolate. This means avoiding close contact (six feet or nearer) with other people, including family members. We also advise contacting your healthcare provider or the local public health department and giving them details of your recent travel and symptoms. Symptomatic students can contact the LSU Student Health Center for information and assistance at 225-324-8594. Personal Travel We strongly recommend against travel to cities and countries where the COVID-19 outbreak is spreading. If you do travel to countries with a Level 3 or 4 travel advisory, you can only return to a university campus, facility or activity after 14 days from the date of departure from that country and if you have no symptoms. You should also make every attempt to return with enough lead time to self-isolate prior to when your university responsibilities begin. We are adhering to the travel advisories enacted by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All travelers should be aware of the potential associated risks of disruptions to reentry to the United States, including delayed travel plans and possible quarantine. Check the CDC and DOS websites for the most up-to-date information about travel to other countries.
Please be sure to follow the LSU directives specified in the following documents for international travel for the foreseeable future. These are living documents that are subject to change, as this situation is fluid, so please review them often if you are traveling internationally:
We recognize the impact these measures may have on many of you, but at the same time we’re committed to ensuring the health and safety of our larger campus community. Thanks for your understanding, and we will continue to provide updates as new developments occur. |
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