Dear Georgetown Faculty and Staff,
As spring break for students approaches, we are writing to provide an update regarding the coronavirus outbreak and to share additional guidance on international travel.
On January 28, Georgetown issued a temporary moratorium on all university-sponsored and university-related travel for students, faculty and staff to China. Today, we are adding South Korea to this temporary moratorium following U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s elevated advisory level for travel to the country. We are in contact with Georgetown community members currently in South Korea and are assisting them in making arrangements to travel home or return to Georgetown University, as appropriate.
While Georgetown has not prohibited university-sponsored or related international travel to any country other than China and South Korea due to COVID-19, the situation continues to be very fluid. The CDC has recently elevated the advisory level for South Korea to Level 3 (Avoid Non-Essential Travel) and elevated advisory levels for Italy (Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions) and Japan (Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions). The uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus have made travel to countries with extensive interactions with locations severely affected by COVID-19 more risky. We urge faculty and staff to stay informed and abide by U.S. government guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of State and International SOS.
If you are planning personal travel to an international destination, we highly recommend that you be mindful of potential associated risk of disruptions to your reentry to the United States and your ability to successfully return to work. We urge you to consult guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Department of State prior to and during your trip and exercise caution when traveling to countries with Level 2 travel advisories and reconsider travel to countries with Level 3 travel advisories. Please be aware that if your travel disrupts your ability to return to work, you may not be permitted to telework without prior university approval.
Georgetown will continue to monitor the situation as the outbreak progresses. You can find university updates, answers to frequently asked questions and other university resources related to coronavirus on the Georgetown University website.
Please remember that all international travel supported by or related to the university must adhere to Georgetown’s International Travel Policy.
All faculty and staff planning university-related or sponsored travel abroad should:
- Register their travel with the online Georgetown Travel Registration system managed by International SOS (ISOS). This registration enables the university to provide travelers with support in the event of an emergency and is critically important to tracking university-related travel;
- Ensure they have adequate health insurance; and
- Complete the International Travel Authorization process for any group that includes student participants.
We strongly suggest that U.S. citizens register travel through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and receive important information from the embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Registration allows you to be easily located by embassy personnel in the event of an emergency.
In addition to adhering to the university travel policy, faculty and staff can refer to the Office of Global Services and the U.S. State Department for tips to stay safe while traveling abroad.
We wish you safe travels and a restful spring break.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves, Provost
Edward B. Healton, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences & Executive Dean of the School of Medicine
William M. Treanor, Executive Vice President & Dean of the Law Center
Geoffrey S. Chatas, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer