New Travel Guidelines

9/25/20

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

While travel has many benefits, during the pandemic it poses an increased risk of virus transmission and importation of COVID-19 into our campus and New Haven communities. The university has therefore restricted Yale-sponsored travel and strongly encouraged community members to limit travel for any reason. That said, there are times when travel is necessary.

Whether the travel is for an approved university purpose or for a personal need, such as a family emergency, everyone arriving at or returning to Yale’s campus must take steps to protect the health and safety of our community.

Travel Outside of Connecticut
Yale students have committed to remain in Connecticut until November 21, 2020. Enrolled undergraduate students must obtain approval to travel from the Yale College Health and Safety Leader (HSL) and must complete an authorization form and submit it to the HSL prior to approved travel. Enrolled graduate and professional students should consult with their HSLs about any travel plans and must complete a travel notification form and submit it to their HSLs prior to traveling. Faculty and staff should consult with their HSLs or supervisors before deciding to travel, and they must obtain approval from their supervisors in advance for Yale-sponsored travel; the Off Campus Research and Field Work Committee may approve travel for off-campus research or field work. Additionally, staff members must notify their supervisors of travel plans and dates of return.

Travel into Connecticut
Because travel increases the chances of travelers contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to others, the Governor of Connecticut has ordered that travelers to Connecticut from states with a high incidence of COVID-19 must quarantine for 14 days following arrival. The same holds true for travelers to Connecticut from a country with a Centers for Disease Control Level 3 Risk rating. With the exception of essential workers traveling for work purposes, this State requirement applies to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Testing Out of Quarantine
To support and supplement Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 9C, effective September 23, Yale is requiring additional precautionary measures for members of our community who arrive at or return to Yale from an affected state or country. More specifically, Yale will allow “testing out” of the 14-day quarantine requirement after two tests are taken subsequent to arrival or return, and each test produces a negative result.  Accordingly, faculty, staff and students traveling from affected states or countries may:

• Quarantine in their rooms or residences for 14 days after arrival; OR
• Obtain a COVID-19 test through the COVID-19 Screening Program on the first day after arrival and a second test no earlier than four days later and quarantine until both tests results are received and are negative.

If individuals select the test-out option and either test is positive for COVID-19, those individuals will not be released from quarantine and must isolate in accordance with university protocols.

Please note:

• The Yale two-test requirement applies to those individuals who are living, studying or working on campus. Staff and students who are working and studying remotely can follow Connecticut’s single-test alternative.
• Healthcare workers, including health professional students, and Yale Health and Yale Medicine patient-facing employees, must also test twice, but will be allowed to return to clinical work after a first negative test while following all appropriate self-monitoring and PPE requirements for their healthcare roles.

Our collective efforts are keeping Yale’s incidence rates of COVID-19 low, and we must not only continue but rather redouble these efforts to prevent the spread of the virus on our campus. Thank you for all that you are doing to address this extraordinary challenge.

– Stephanie S. Spangler, M.D.
Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
University COVID-19 Coordinator