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To: All Students
From: Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University
Subject: Winter Quarter Travel and Quarantine Procedures
Date: January 8, 2021
I look forward to welcoming many of you back to Chicago this Winter 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 are coming to Chicago this winter. For those of you who will be living on campus, Housing & Residence Life 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
- All students living on campus, whether they are first time on-campus residents or returning residents, regardless of where they are traveling from, are required to follow the University’s seven-day “stay at home” directive after arriving in Chicago. Under the directive, on-campus students must remain in their residence halls as much as possible for a seven-day period, unless going out for essential needs such as groceries and food, medical care and supplies, and outdoor exercise. The seven-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 follow the University’s seven-day stay at home order. Additional restrictions apply if students are coming from a state or territory covered by Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order (see below).
- Students who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should not return to campus until they feel well or have completed their quarantine.
Domestic Travelers – Additional Considerations
- After arriving in Chicago, students living off campus should follow, at a minimum, the University’s seven-day stay at home order. Individuals traveling from states/territories marked orange and red should also follow the requirements of the city’s Emergency Travel Order. The Emergency Travel Order requires individuals from states marked red to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Chicago. Traveling from states marked orange requires either a 10-day quarantine or a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours before returning to Chicago.
- For people who need to quarantine as a result of travel, quarantine is defined as “staying at a single designated home or dwelling 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 student who is still in a travel-related quarantine period 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. Students need to make arrangements to have food and other needed supplies delivered to their residences.
International Travelers – Additional Considerations
- Travelers should follow precautions after international travel, particularly if they participated in higher risk activities. See the recommendations on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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 seven-day “stay at home” order if they are living on campus. Students should also keep these requirements in mind as they make plans for spring break.
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 Surveillance Testing Program which gives asymptomatic individuals access to free testing on a regular basis. The University is offering another opportunity to apply to participate in this program and will share additional details soon.
Thank you for your help in promoting a culture of health and safety on our campus this Winter Quarter.
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