UT suspends undergraduate university-sponsored student travel to certain countries amid coronavirus concerns
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas at Austin announced Tuesday that they have suspended undergraduate university-sponsored student travel to certain countries amid concerns about the coronavirus.
Travel for spring break, Maymester and summer programs has been suspended to France, Germany, and Spain, in addition to countries that have CDC Level 1, 2 or 3 travel notices that relate to coronavirus, which include China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Japan, and Hong Kong.
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All undergraduate and graduate students currently in France, Germany, Spain, and Japan will need to submit a Restricted Regions request if they want to remain in-country to complete the spring 2020 semester.
UT says it is proceeding with business as usual on campus, with classes and operations continuing, and as spring break begins next week, is encouraging students, faculty, and staff to consider how personal travel plans could be affected by the spread of coronavirus.
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The university system is also urging students, faculty, and staff to not travel to countries designated Level 2 and 3 as self-isolation is required for those returning from those countries. All those returning, whether from a university-sponsored or personal trip, from a Level 2 or 3 travel advisory location, including airport layovers, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to campus.
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All future international university-related travel must be booked by the UT Austin contracted travel agents or Concur UT's online booking tool.
UT says that while at this time the threat of coronavirus does not necessitate a widespread transition to online classwork, the university is taking steps to ensure the campus is prepared for it if needed. UT Austin is also currently developing contingency plans and processes to determine if specific events should be canceled or rescheduled.