The University of California is vigilantly monitoring and responding to new information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
HELPFUL LINKS
CDC’s Updated International Travel Page
Coronavirus Updates for UC Employees
WorldAware COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) Risk Intelligence & Resource Center
Webinar Q&As can be found here
CAMPUS INFORMATION AND CONTACT
Berkeley
Reimbursement for travel impacted as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
Travel reimbursement questions: travel@berkeley.edu
Davis
Primary page for Supply Chain related questions (including Travel)
Travel reimbursement questions: travelhelp@ucdavis.edu
Irvine
Campus Local Amendment to Policy G28
Travel reimbursement questions: travel-accounting@uci.edu
Los Angeles
UCLA Travel Services
Travel reimbursement questions: travel@finance.ucla.edu
Merced
UC Merced Travel impacted as a result of the Coronavirus
Travel reimbursement questions: travel@ucmerced.edu
Riverside
Travel reimbursement questions: travelfeedback@ucr.edu
San Diego
UCSD Travel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
Travel reimbursement questions: contact through ASK (login required)
San Francisco
UCSF COVID-19 Related Travel Cancelation and Reimbursement Guidance
Travel reimbursement questions: connexxus@ucsf.edu
Santa Barbara
BFS COVID-19 Status Updates
Travel reimbursement questions: https://www.bfs.ucsb.edu/contacts
Santa Cruz
UCSC Reimbursement for Travel Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Travel reimbursement questions: travelhelp@ucsc.edu
Office of the President
Guidance for UCOP employees about coronavirus
Travel reimbursement questions: BRCTRAVELANDENT@ucop.edu
March 12, 2021: Updated travel guidelines for the UC community
Although the United States has recently experienced a decrease in new COVID-19 cases and positivity rates, and an increase in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 continues to present a global health risk that must be taken seriously.
The Office of the President has issued several directives regarding travel over the past year that restricted non-essential, University-related travel. The last directive, issued August 6, 2020, restricted non-essential travel to CDC Level 2 and 3 countries.
Since the August 2020 directive, the CDC has updated their Travel Health Notice system to 4 Tiers (Very High, High, Moderate and Low) and they are working closely with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to ensure the DOS Travel Advisories align with the CDC 4 Tier System.
The Office of the President is rescinding the prior travel directives and directs that all University travelers follow the CDC Guidance before, during and upon return from travel.
Any exceptions to CDC Guidance and the determination of what travel is considered as essential travel are deferred to the campus and medical center locations. Additionally, all international travelers should review the DOS Travel Advisories related to their destination(s) prior to making travel plans and ensure that their travel is registered with the UC Travel Insurance Program. As a reminder, reservations made through the travel program are automatically enrolled, except for bookings made directly on SWABIZ, for those reservations or reservations made outside the travel program, you must register your trip.
August 6, 2020: Reminder of the President’s directives to limit non-essential travel
Since January, the University has been at the forefront of monitoring and continuing to address the effects of COVID-19 on nearly every aspect of UC operations and the personal lives of our community as well as society at large. Every location has been undeniably impacted, and staff and faculty are working harder than ever to deliver upon our core mission even in the face of the unparalleled challenges created by a pandemic that shows no signs of abating.
As COVID-19 infections spread worldwide, including in the United States, this is an important time to remind our community that the University remains under the President’s directives to limit non-essential travel.
Beginning in January, the University issued a series of executive directives that restricted non-essential, University-related travel internationally including to China, and subsequently to all CDC Level 2 and 3 Travel Warning countries. These directives remain in effect and defer to individual campuses to define essential versus non-essential travel.
With regard to travel domestically, work-related trips within the United States remain a campus-level decision. However, it should be noted that currently the United States has some of the highest numbers of new COVID-19 cases in the world, with infections and deaths per day outpacing China and countries in Europe. California, in particular, leads the nation in the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
March 12, 2020: COVID-19 UPDATE: Travel Suspensions
As you may be aware, any U.S. citizen or lawful U.S. permanent resident returning to the United States who has traveled to one of the Schengen Area countries within the previous 14 days must enter the United States through an approved airport.
Foreign nationals who have traveled to one of the Schengen Area countries within the last 14 days will be denied permission to travel to the United States.
The following airports are approved entry points for customers entering the United States if the customer has visited the Schengen Area, Iran or mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the last 14 days:
- Atlanta: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Dallas-Fort Worth: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Detroit: Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)
- Newark, New Jersey: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Honolulu: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- New York City: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Chicago: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- San Francisco: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Washington, D.C.: Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Travelers in the middle of a trip in any of these countries should begin to make arrangements to return home as soon as possible and should contact the agency or airline that booked the flight, for direction or options. Phone hold times may be longer than usual due to the current circumstances. Contact information for UC’s preferred agencies are as follows:
- Balboa Travel – PH: 1-858-678-3752;
- BCD Travel – if you booked online, please cancel online. All others can call 1-877-885-8632 (1-818-238-4445 if calling from outside the United States), PRESS #3;
- Short’s Travel – PH: 1-877-277-5754
- UCLA Travel – PH: 310-206-2639, PRESS #2
Questions or concerns for all other travel will be addressed during a one-hour Q&A hosted by the Central Travel Office and Risk Services on Wednesday, March 18th at 2PM.
Your local campus risk manager can provide additional assistance about UC’s Traveler Insurance.
February 26, 2020: UC's Response to Coronavirus
As concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) increase worldwide, airlines have altered many of their flight options and travelers are making necessary changes to their plans. Additionally, UC’s President Janet Napolitano has issued the following directives:
- UC travelers returning from countries where the CDC has identified widespread sustained transmission must stay home for 14 days and self-monitor for symptoms. This precaution applies to all countries designated with a Level 3 travel health notice including, as of today, China, Iran, Italy and South Korea;
- All UC locations are directed to avoid non-essential university-related travel to all countries designated by CDC as Level 2 or Level 3 for community transmission. You can check a country’s health notice designation at the CDC website;
- All those traveling abroad for University-related purposes must register their international travel with the UC International Travel Registry.
Airlines continue to offer some refund or waiver options, but if the ticket is changed/cancelled before the airline offers anything, then airline rules and fees will apply. We encourage you to sign up for notifications directly from the airline for more up to date and detailed information. It is recommended to wait as long as possible to cancel your airline ticket, as the airline may initiate cancellation and either refund or allow full value for future tickets. You must, however, cancel the ticket before the time of travel or be considered a “no-show”, which would negate any ticket credit value or possible refund.
Tickets booked online can be cancelled online and travelers should receive an email within 24-48 hours of that cancellation. If they do not receive an email, they can call the agency to track their credits, but should expect long hold times.
If a traveler gets credit toward future travel and the tickets were booked through any of UC’s preferred agencies (Anthony Travel, Balboa Travel, BCD Travel, Short’s Travel or UCLA Travel), UC’s contract with the major airlines may offer other waivers or advantages, including:
- airline change fees may be waived; or
- unused credits may be used for another UC traveler and additional name change fees may be waived.
Other travel changes:
- Hotels will typically allow for cancellation at no charge from 72-24 hours prior to the date/time of check-in. Please check the policy for your hotel. If you have pre-paid a room, please contact your campus travel & accounting team to see if any reimbursement options are available to you, per UC’s G28 Travel Policy;
- If your conference has been cancelled, check with the organizers on whether or not they will reimburse registration fees and conference hotel bookings. Airfare is typically not reimbursed by the conference and is the responsibility of the traveler to cancel.
For those who booked through any of UC’s preferred agencies, travelers were already registered with UC’s Traveler Insurance, but the trip cancellation policy only applies to international travel. Please contact your local campus Risk Manager for more information.
January 31, 2020: Directive on Limiting Non-Essential Travel to Countries Designated with a CDC Warning Level 3 Travel Notice
The University of California is closely monitoring developments around the coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019. Consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), UC Health physicians are vigilant and on alert to potential infectious disease presentations consistent with our protocols for patient care.
The UC Office of the President has prepared information and recommendations to assist academic leaders, managers, and supervisors in addressing concerns related to COVID-19. The guidance applies to all UC locations, including campuses, UC health systems, Agriculture & Natural Resources, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The University will act in accordance with all applicable public health directives, and the University’s guidance, policies, and regulations cannot conflict with public health orders.
More information can be found here.
World Aware has provided us with these direct links to country and airline listings for Coronavirus travel restrictions and have shared them with the campus risk managers. The info will be updated on a daily basis by World Aware: