TRAVEL    

Until further notice, university-sponsored domestic and foreign travel is suspended unless the travel is deemed mission critical. All such proposed domestic and foreign travel requests must be submitted through Concur so the Office of Risk, Ethics and Compliance can conduct an assessment before making a recommendation to the Office of the Provost. Final approval is required prior to departure, therefore, requests should be submitted at least five (5) business days before the proposed travel to enable completion of the review and approval process. Additionally, it is advised that no funds are paid on planned travel prior to final approval being granted. Contact Jason Boyle (jboyle@tamu.edu) with the Office of Risk, Ethics and Compliance with any questions. Additionally, the university strongly discourages international travel and domestic air travel outside of Texas.

All Texas A&M University-sponsored education abroad programs that were scheduled to depart on or before Aug 3, 2020, have been canceled.

The White House, CDC, and state of Texas has issued travel guidance through April 30, 2020:

• Avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips, and social visits.
• Avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts - use drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options.
• Avoid visiting gyms or massage parlors.
• Do not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance.

The Texas A&M University System has issued travel guidance through May 31st:

• No international travel is permitted through May 31st, unless it is directly critical to the ongoing international efforts to deal with Coronavirus; this date will be revisited and may be extended.
• No domestic air travel is permitted unless deemed mission critical, through May 31st; this date will be revisited and may be extended.
• All travel should be approved by the university administration before it occurs.
• In addition, we discourage travel between System campuses and locations unless mission critical.

In addition per Gov. Abbott’s executive order on March 27th, if you recently travelled from the New York Tri-State area or New Orleans, you should:

• Quarantine yourself for 14 days
• Monitor your symptoms
• Call your physician immediately if symptoms get worse

CDC provides travel notices and makes recommendations on postponing or canceling travel. These are called travel notices and are based on assessment of the potential health risks involved with traveling to a certain area. A list of destinations with travel notices is available at on the CDC website travel page. In addition, CDC now recommends that travelers defer all cruise travel worldwide. Cruise travelers should stay home for 14 days after returning from travel, monitor their health, and practice social distancing.

• Warning Level 3: CDC recommends travelers avoid all nonessential travel to destinations with level 3 travel notices because of the risk of getting COVID-19.
• Alert Level 2: Because COVID-19 can be more serious in older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, people in these groups should talk to a healthcare provider and consider postponing travel to destinations with level 2 travel notices.
• Watch Level 1: CDC does not recommend canceling or postponing travel to destinations with level 1 travel notices because the risk of COVID-19 is thought to be low. If you travel, take the following routine precautions:
  • Avoid contact with sick people.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
  • It is especially important to clean hands after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

If you have traveled internationally or on a cruise within the last 14 days, you are required self-isolate off-campus for 14 days before returning to campus. (See 'What Does It Mean To Self -Isolate?' FAQ).

As posted 3-18-2020:

Any faculty, staff or students returning from international travel or from a cruise should self-isolate for 14 days after their arrival into the United States before returning for campus. Self-isolation guidance is listed on this page and on the CDC Care Guide.

If you have traveled internationally or on a cruise within the last 14 days, you are required to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to campus. You should continue to be vigilant about monitoring yourself for fever and lower respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath. However, not all affected individuals will exhibit all symptoms, and if you have any symptoms at all, call a healthcare provider or Student Health Services if you are a student.

Until further notice, university-sponsored domestic and foreign travel is suspended unless the travel is deemed mission critical. The university recommends that individuals strongly consider the risks of personal travel internationally, as this situation continues to evolve. Students, faculty, and staff who travel internationally or on a cruise — whether for personal or university business — are required to self-isolate off campus for 14 days before returning to campus.

Individuals returning from international travel or from a cruise should follow CDC guidelines by self-isolating at their family home or off-campus residence for 14 days. Should symptoms occur, seek immediate medical attention. Please notify Education Abroad at ea-covid19@tamu.edu if you are returning from a Texas A&M-sponsored education abroad program.

If you have travelled and start to feel sick with fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing, within 14 days after you left, you should do the following:

• Seek medical advice – Call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Do not travel on public transportation while sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to avoid spreading the virus to others.
• Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
• If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 percent to 95 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

If you are not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 and are asked to self-isolate after returning internationally or from a cruise, you should stay off campus and remain home.

Do not go to campus including work, residence halls and apartments, classes, athletic events or other social gatherings until 14 days after returning from international or cruise travel. Likewise, avoid public places and gatherings in the community.

If you need to retrieve belongings from your on campus residence, contact the Department of Residence Life at maggie_guzman@reslife.tamu.edu. If you are a faculty or staff member and need to retrieve items from your office or work space, please coordinate with your supervisor about the best way to retrieve those items without returning to campus.

Please follow these guidelines for self-isolation:

• Report any symptoms of COVID-19 immediately to your medical provider – preferably by calling to get advice and instructions. TAMU students may call (979) 458-8300. For after-hours contact/inquiries, call the Dial-a-Nurse program at (979) 458-8379.
• Stay in your room or apartment. Do not go to work, classes, athletic events, or other social or religious gatherings until 14 days after leaving the Level 3 country or region.
• Limit contact as much as possible. This also means limiting close contact with others including persons living in your residence.
• Wash your hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand rubs after coughing or sneezing or throwing a used tissue in the garbage.
• Avoid sharing household items. Do not share drinking glasses, towels, eating utensils, bedding, or any other items until you are no longer asked to self-isolate.
• Keep your surroundings clean. While the virus is not spread very well from contact with soiled household surfaces, try to clean surfaces that you share with others, such as door knobs, telephones, and bathroom surfaces (or any other object that you sneeze or cough on), with a standard household disinfectant wipe. Wash your hands after cleaning the area.
• Monitor yourself for symptoms at least daily including measuring your temperature. Any symptoms of COVID-19 should be reported to your physician. To download the CDC Check and Report Every Day (CARE) Booklet which helps you understand how to self-monitor your health and how to check your symptoms daily visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/COVID-19_CAREKit_ENG.pdf
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your upper sleeve or a tissue. Never cough in the direction of someone else.