Texas Aggies Take Protective Actions Against Coronavirus

Arising from concerns about the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19), The Texas A&M University System announced new restrictions on foreign travel that impact the students, faculty, and staff.

The COVID-19 disease in humans is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which has been reported in about 40 countries during 2020.  

“We have no greater responsibility than to promote the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff,” wrote Chancellor John Sharp in a letter to university presidents and agency directors on March 2, 2020. 

“We also are responsible for promoting public health, especially during this period of global uncertainty.”

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the world, with a network of 11 universities encompassing about 153,000 students.

Beginning immediately, the Texas A&M System is taking the following actions to protect students, faculty, and staff:

• Strongly discourage all foreign travel by Texas A&M System students, faculty and staff while the outbreak of COVID-19 remains a dynamically changing and uncertain situation.
• Prohibit payment for System-sponsored travel to all countries identified as Level 1 or greater risk by the CDC Health Notice Warning system. The only exception is for “mission-critical” personnel working on the response to COVID-19.
• Encourage all students, faculty, and staff to return from all Level 1 or higher risk countries as soon as they can be practically arranged.
• Direct students, faculty, and staff to report all personal international travel to the university if they have traveled to a Level 1 or greater risk country.
• Require students, faculty, staff, and visitors traveling from countries with risk levels of 2 and 3 to self-isolate for a 14-day period before returning to school or work. Monitoring/isolation should follow the latest CDC guidelines, which currently suggest at least 14 days without symptoms.
• Require students to self-monitor and isolate at an off-campus or family residence whenever practical. Students should contact their university if these options are impractical.
• Direct students with symptoms not to just show up at campus health centers but call ahead so medical personnel can be prepared or can direct the students to local health authorities.
• Reimburse students for reasonable expenses associated with canceled school-sponsored trips.
• Create a System-level reserve to assist universities with extraordinary costs associated with the crisis response.
• Continue to raise public awareness and encourage people to keep themselves safe by washing their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, covering their coughs, avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, and staying home when ill.
• Provide information on System websites and on regular social media updates.
• Create an expert medical response team.
• Work with other university systems to ensure a coordinated, statewide effort.
• Coordinate weekly or biweekly conference calls among System leaders to share current information from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Previously, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued 6 Travel Alerts for various countries reporting COVID-19 cases.

These CDC Travel Alerts can be found here.  

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak news is published by Coronavirus Today.