Coronavirus Triggers China Travel Advisory

(from multiple sources) As of January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization has declared the new Coronavirus (nCoV) a global health emergency following a jump in the number of infected patients. The U.S. Department of State has advised travelers not to travel China due to the ongoing outbreak of nCoV, a respiratory illness first identified in the city of Wuhan. As of February 29, 2020, the State Department has also advised travelers to reconsider travel to Italy and South Korea, due to outbreaks in those countries. 

On January 31, the Trump administration announced new travel restrictions for people who have been in China recently. The government now prohibits all foreign nationals (other than permanent residents and immediate family of U.S. citizens) who have been to China in the last 14 days from entering the U.S. Additionally, starting on February 2, 2020, U.S. citizens returning to the country from Hubei province, China, in the past 14 days will face quarantine restrictions. U.S. citizens who have been to other parts of China will face “proactive entry screening” and may be monitored and asked to self-quarantine.

Healthcare workers and educators are urging schools to avoid imposing policies that conflict with the advice of world health organizations. For independent schools seeking information and latest developments related to the coronavirus (nCoV), NAIS offers the following resources:

• The World Health Organization website, including infection prevention and control when the coronavirus infection is suspected and risk communication and community engagement readiness and initial response for nCoV
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
• The American College Health Association’s pandemic guidelines document
• NAIS's Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Considerations for Schools
• The U.S. Government’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) website

The Association of Boarding Schools has advised that these developments, if unchanged, will impact independent schools programs, including student trips home for spring break, school trips or programs to or through China, and student or faculty exchanges or short-term stays. The developments may also impact dormitory and food service operations during breaks, spring break trips and counseling services for those impacted. 

NAIS has noted there have been reports from around the world about an increase in anti-Asian discrimination and offers the following resources: Let’s Talk: Discussing Race, Racism and Other Difficult Topics with Students, Speak Up at School: How to Respond to Everyday Prejudice, Bias and Stereotypes, Responding to Hate and Bias at School. A Different Asian American Timeline explores the history of racism in the Asian American experience.     

Additional Resources

Coronavirus: 5 Steps Colleges & Independent Schools Should Take Know (Ari Betof/Medium)

Understanding Coronavirus: What Schools Need to Know (NAIS)

Communication Guidelines for the Coronavirus (Jane Group)

Colleges Announce New Restrictions on Travel to China (Inside Higher Ed)

Coronavirus triggers travel restrictions and other countermeasures (ICEF Monitor)

Ready for Anything: Preparing for Campus Emergencies (Net Assets)

All news on NetAssets.org


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