September 2, 2020
To: All Students
From: Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University
Subject: Autumn Quarter Travel and Quarantine Procedures
Date: September 2, 2020
I look forward to welcoming many of you back to Chicago this Autumn Quarter. The purpose of my email today is to update you on travel restrictions and quarantine procedures that you will be expected to follow if you choose to come to Chicago this fall. For those of you who will be living on campus, the College previously outlined specific residence hall move-in procedures, which are detailed here. For all students who plan to come to campus for educational, research, or any other purpose, please take note of the following important information.
All Travelers
- Students should be mindful of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that recommend travelers assess whether they have recently engaged in “higher risk activities” for exposure to COVID-19 and take extra precautions to protect others after travel. For more information, including a list of higher risk activities, visit the CDC’s website.
- Students living on campus are required to follow the University’s 10-day “stay at home” directive after arriving in Chicago, unless they are subject to the city’s 14-day quarantine as described below. Under the directive, on-campus students must remain in their residence halls as much as possible for a 10-day period, unless going out for essential needs such as groceries and food, medical care and supplies, and outdoor exercise. The 10-day directive applies to students living in residence halls to help limit the risk of spreading the virus in large communal living settings on campus.
- We recognize that students living off campus have a wide variety of living situations, but at a minimum all off-campus students should observe a transition period before returning to campus. In the 10 days before they return to campus, we strongly encourage all students living off campus to limit their contacts with others and limit movement outside their home, including refraining from attending any gatherings. Additional restrictions apply if students are coming from a state covered by Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order (see below).
Domestic Travelers – Additional Considerations
- In accordance with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Emergency Travel Order, students who arrive in Chicago from designated states/territories must quarantine for 14 days. The list of designated states—note that it changes frequently—is available on the City of Chicago’s website.
- Quarantine is defined as “staying at a single designated home or dwelling for 14 days before doing any activities outside of the home. People in quarantine should separate themselves from others as much as possible and check themselves for symptoms.” This means that a quarantining student should only leave their residence to seek medical care or COVID-19 testing and should not leave to go to the grocery store, drug store, restaurant or any other place of business.
- Off-campus students arriving from CDPH-designated states must complete the 14-day quarantine period in Chicago before coming to campus for courses, research, or any other in-person activities. Students need to make arrangements to have food and other needed supplies delivered to their residences.
- On-campus students arriving from CDPH-designated states should quarantine in their residence halls for the 14-day period. The University will facilitate meal delivery during this time. Students need to make arrangements to have other needed supplies delivered to their residences.
International Travelers – Additional Considerations
- The CDC maintains a list of countries from which foreign nationals who have been in those countries anytime during the previous 14 days may not enter the United States. These countries currently include China, Iran, and Brazil. For more information and to check for additions or changes to the list, please visit the CDC’s website. Similar entry restrictions remain in effect for Schengen area countries, the UK, and Ireland, with exemptions provided to international students entering the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 visa status. For information about these exemptions, visit the U.S. Department of State’s website, and for additional questions, visit the University’s Office of International Affairs’ website.
- For additional information for international travelers, please refer to this Q&A.
For students who will be quarantining or staying at home per the instructions above, the following home delivery resources may assist you in making life easier.
In addition, the University strongly discourages travel once students are in Chicago for the quarter. Students returning to Chicago at any time during the quarter will need to abide by the city’s quarantine order if they visit an affected state, or re-do the University’s 10-day “stay at home” order if they are living on campus.
I also recommend that students living off campus who plan on being on campus for classes, research and other scholarly activities apply to participate in the University’s voluntary COVID-19 testing program which gives asymptomatic individuals access to free testing on a regular basis. The University will share additional details about this program in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your help in promoting a culture of health and safety on our campus this Autumn Quarter, and I wish you much success during the upcoming year.