International Travel Advisory

September 22, 2020

Dear Rutgers Community Members: 

As part of our continuing efforts to protect our employees, students, patients, and their families during the pandemic, we are updating the travel recommendations for all Rutgers employees and students to incorporate the CDC’s International Travel Guidance.  

The CDC issued a Warning Level 3 – Avoid Non-Essential Travel notice on September 16, 2020 for many countries and territories with sustained and widespread COVID-19 transmission.  The rate of transmission and percent positivity in New Jersey and at Rutgers remains low, therefore it is imperative that we do all we can to maintain a low level of transmission and protect our community.   

Accordingly, effective September 16, 2020, we instituted an additional requirement to prohibit University employees and students from returning to campus for fourteen days after travel to one of the countries or territories on the CDC’s Level 3 Travel Advisory List.  You can access the full list of countries with the Level 3 Designation on the CDC webpage. 

This requirement supplements the July 31, 2020 restrictions from returning to campus for 14 days after travel to regions included in the State of New Jersey’s Travel Advisory List.  The updated travel advisory list can be found on the New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub.  

The CDC and State of New Jersey’s Travel Advisory Lists change weekly, so it is important to routinely check these websites when planning travel. 

Students will be responsible for notifying the appropriate school or program administrators if their participation in academic or clinical activities will be impacted by this travel restriction.  Because students will be prohibited from returning to campus locations, we encourage faculty and school administration to work with students to determine whether remote learning accommodations can be made available during this time period.  Alternatively, students can consider returning to New Jersey early, so that their fourteen-day self-quarantine can be completed by the time they are due on campus. 

Students residing in on-campus housing should contact the residence life offices at their campus in advance of their return to inquire about quarantine arrangements:   

• Rutgers—New Brunswick and RBHS New Brunswick/Piscataway: oncampus@echo.rutgers.edu 
• Rutgers—Camden: housing@camden.rutgers.edu 
• Rutgers—Newark and RBHS Newark: housing@newark.rutgers.edu   

Because employees will be prohibited from returning to their physical work locations, we encourage supervisors to work with impacted employees to determine whether telecommuting accommodations can be made available during this time period. If telecommuting is not possible, employees should contact One Source to determine which leave options are available.   

We thank you for your continued cooperation in protecting our campus community and the patients and communities we serve.    

Sincerely, 

Vicente Gracias, MD
Senior Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences 
Vice President Health Affairs, Rutgers University 

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH 
Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences 
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs