Travel Advisory for Rutgers Employees

Note: More recent COVID-19-related communication may supersede specific information in this announcement.

July 31, 2020

Dear Rutgers Colleagues:

Despite our collective efforts, vigilance, and sacrifices undertaken to contain and suppress the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 earlier this year, the spread of COVID-19 continues unabated across the nation. As restrictions on public gatherings, economic activity, and interstate travel have eased to different degrees across the country, we are witnessing an unfortunate surge in cases in numerous states. To protect the public health of the residents of New Jersey, Governor Murphy has issued an advisory for residents returning to New Jersey from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine.

As of July 28, the State of New Jersey lists the following 36 states and territories as among those with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a seven day rolling average. The listed states and territories include: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. This list is updated and amended regularly by the State. You can access the current list at https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-information/which-states-are-on-the-travel-advisory-list-are-there-travel-restrictions-to-or-from-new-jersey. [page no longer exists]

All Rutgers employees play an important part in ensuring high levels of safety in the workplace for our colleagues, students, and patients. In recognition of our shared responsibility, and in order to save lives, prevent disease, and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, effective immediately, we are instituting a requirement prohibiting University employees from returning to campus for fourteen days after traveling to one of the states on the New Jersey Travel Advisory List. This is particularly important to protect our health care workers, their families, and our vulnerable patients.

Because employees will be prohibited from returning to these physical work locations, we encourage supervisors to work with impacted employees to determine whether telecommuting accommodations can be made available during this time period. If telecommuting is not possible, employees should contact One Source to determine which leave options are available.

We thank you for your continued cooperation in protecting our campus community and the patients and communities we serve.

Sincerely,

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs