The health and safety of our students,
faculty and staff are our highest priority and must guide our decisions
about international travel. The University of Hawai‘i is carefully
monitoring the development of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
outbreak.
At this time, the most affected areas include Mainland China; Hong Kong;
Singapore; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Toronto, Canada, in accordance with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This list may be modified by
the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization
(WHO) and the U.S. Department of State travel guidelines and warnings.
After a thorough assessment of the growing concerns with regard to the outbreak
of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), it has been determined that it would
be in the best interest of the university community to temporarily suspend all
university-sponsored programs to SARS-affected areas, particularly, those mentioned
above. We will continue to monitor developments closely.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance for all Title
VI, Fulbright-Hayes and Foreign Language and Area Studies-funded programs which
urges institutions to defer elective or non-essential travel to SARS-affected
areas as outlined in the CDC and WHO travel warnings. We must abide by the advice
of the funding agency.
Any UH student, scholar or faculty member choosing to travel to, or remain in,
SARS-affected areas, does so at their personal risk. Completing the attached
student and faculty Assumption of Risk and Release form is required prior to
such international travel. After completion, these forms must be filed with the
Office of International Education.
In addition to outbound programs, we must also give special attention to those
coming from SARS-affected areas. You will need to contact incoming students,
scholars, and faculty from SARS-affected areas informing them that if they
have signs of illness, they should not come to UH at this time. The Hawai‘i
State Department of Health does NOT recommend exclusion from work, school,
childcare or other public areas for non-ill persons. United States Customs
and Border Protection
currently does not impose any general mandatory quarantine or prohibitions
on travelers arriving from identified SARS areas. However, the United States
Public
Health Service reserves the right to quarantine travelers on any international
conveyance that is transporting an infected passenger.
If, after arrival, students or scholars coming to UH from SARS-affected areas
develop symptoms including coughing, fever and shortness of breath, they should
see a health care provider immediately and inform them of their travel history.
Please refer to the attached SARS Fact Sheet for more details.
Finally, we are requesting that you immediately identify an international education
health and safety point of contact for your campus. Health and safety issues
have become increasingly complex, affecting both incoming and outgoing students
and scholars. Once you have identified your campus contact, please inform Jenny
Samaan, Director of the Office of International Education. Her email is samaan@hawaii.edu.
The most immediate tasks for these individuals include: 1) identifying students
and/or faculty who are presently in SARS-affected areas and mandate that they
return home; 2) identifying UH-sponsored programs scheduled to travel to SARS-affected
areas as long as the health travel warnings are in effect (i.e. study travel
trips, independent research, exchange programs, international conferences; 3)
notifying UH organizers and travelers of our new international travel policies.
Additionally, your campus contact should remain in close communication with the
Office of International Education who will send health and safety updates. Your
campus contact will be expected to provide on-going information and assistance
on SARS and other related matters.
Again, we must emphasize that it is the health and safety of our students and
faculty that are of utmost concern. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
c: Deans and Directors
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