UT Austin restricts travel to China amid coronavirus outbreak
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas at Austin is restricting travel to China after an outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
UT Austin says the university has added China to the UT Restricted Regions list as a “High Risk” travel destination.
Effective immediately, undergraduate student travel to China is suspended. Students currently planning to enroll in programs in China and their colleges and schools will receive assistance to either relocate their international experience to another country or attend classes in Austin, says UT Austin.
UT Austin says that faculty, staff and graduate student travel to China will have to be reviewed by the university’s International Oversight Committee’s Restricted Regions Review Committee and that until further notice, only essential travel to China will be considered for approval.
Any approved travel will require an in-country safety plan and consent to follow protocols set by the university for return to campus, says UT Austin.
UT Austin's decision follows a similar decision from the University of Houston Tuesday.
The virus, labeled 2019-nCoV, originated in Wuhan in the Hubei province of China. Last month, doctors in Wuhan began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale seafood market.
The CDC confirmed the first US case when a man in his 30s started feeling ill after returning to Washington state from traveling in China.
The most recent US case is an Arizona State University student who recently returned from Wuhan and was put in isolation according to the Arizona Department of Health Services and ASU.
Two Texas university students, one at Texas A&M University in College Station and one at Baylor University in Waco, were initially suspected of having contracted the virus after recent travel to China, but both tested negative.
China has confirmed more than 2,700 cases of the virus, with 81 deaths. Most have been in Wuhan and more than 40 cases have been confirmed in other places with virtually all of them involving Chinese tourists or people who visited Wuhan recently.
READ THE FULL LETTER FROM UT AUSTIN BELOW:
Dear UT community:
As part of the university’s ongoing commitment to student and employee health, we are closely monitoring the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China through trusted authorities including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council, World Health Organization, International SOS, and our peers in the U.S. and around the world.
The number of confirmed cases affecting individuals worldwide is rising and as a result, we have added China to the UT Restricted Regions list as a “High Risk” travel destination. As a further precaution to our university community members, the following are effective immediately:
Undergraduate student travel to China is suspended. Texas Global will work with individual students currently planning to enroll in programs in China and their colleges and schools to either relocate their international experience to another country or attend classes in Austin.
Faculty, staff and graduate student travel to China must be reviewed by the university’s International Oversight Committee’s Restricted Regions Review Committee. Until further notice, only essential travel to China will be considered for approval.
Any approved travel will require an in-country safety plan and consent to follow protocols set by the university for return to campus.
We are mindful of the impact this may have on members of our community. I encourage students to reach out to UT Counseling and Mental Health Center or Student Emergency Services for support. Staff and faculty counseling services are available through the HealthPoint Employee Assistance Program.
For university travel resources and policies, please visit global.utexas.edu/risk, contact Randy Penson, Director of Global Risk and Safety, at rpenson@austin.utexas.edu or (512) 471-0341.
Our top priority is to support the health, safety, and security of our community and remain vigilant during this evolving health crisis. We are prepared to make adjustments to our approach as circumstances warrant and are hopeful that conditions will improve for our activities to resume in China.
Sincerely,
Sonia Feigenbaum, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement/Chief International Officer