RBHS Student Travel Advisory

July 31, 2020

Dear RBHS Students:

Despite our collective efforts, vigilance, and sacrifices undertaken to contain and suppress the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 earlier this year, the spread of COVID-19 continues unabated across the nation.  As restrictions on public gatherings, economic activity, and interstate travel have eased to different degrees across the country, we are witnessing an unfortunate surge in cases in numerous states.  To protect the public health of the residents of New Jersey, Governor Murphy has issued an advisory for residents returning to New Jersey from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine. 

As of July 28, the State of New Jersey lists the following 36 states and territories as among those with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a seven day rolling average.  The listed states and territories include: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.  This list is updated and amended regularly by the State.  You can access the current list at https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-information/which-states-are-on-the-travel-advisory-list-are-there-travel-restrictions-to-or-from-new-jersey.

All RBHS students play an important role in ensuring high levels of safety in the learning environment for our colleagues, students, and patients. In recognition of our shared responsibility, and in order to save lives, prevent disease, and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, effective immediately, we are instituting a requirement prohibiting RBHS students from returning to a Rutgers University campus or clinical affiliate location for fourteen days after traveling to one of the states on the New Jersey Travel Advisory List. We would also encourage you to avoid interacting with others during this fourteen-day window, consistent with the Governor’s advisory.  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 these physical 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.

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

Sincerely,

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH

RBHS Chancellor