Coronavirus travel guidelines as of June 20, 2020

June 20, 2020

Ohio State is following the public health guidance of local, state and federal officials to protect the health and well-being of the university community and to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Domestic and international travel restrictions, initially announced in March, have been extended until December 31, 2020. 

To expand upon previous decisions, all travel that has been scheduled through December 31, 2020, must be canceled (see cancellation guidelines.) Exemption processes and elevated approvals related to travel restriction are available under specific circumstances.

The university has also taken the difficult step of canceling all education abroad programs for the autumn semester. We look forward to students returning to these important teaching-and-learning experiences once it is advisable to do so. We will continue to monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and others.

The university will periodically reassess the opportunity for travel as appropriate to public health. Details of the restrictions include:

  • These restrictions apply to university-sponsored travel (via flight, train or vehicle) for students, faculty, staff, guests and recruits. 
  • All international and domestic travel (including driving within the state of Ohio) must be canceled and an exemption process will be limited to business essential travel and will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
  • Business essential travel is defined as travel that is absolutely necessary to the mission of the university, cannot be conducted via virtual platforms and does not create an unacceptable health hazard. Conference attendance and presentations are not generally considered essential travel.

We recognize the uncertainty this global health issue is creating and are committed to keeping you informed and up to date as this situation evolves. The status of this extension to December 31 will continue to be monitored based on COVID-19 travel guidelines issued by the State of Ohio and CDC travel risk assessments.

  • CDC Travel Guidelines
  • Cancellation Guidelines
    • Contact Travel Agency, Airline, Hotel and Conference hosts
    • Document cancellation status in eTravel (work with your College/VP Service Center or Fiscal Officer)
    • Review Travel FAQs for further guidance
    • Contact the Travel Office for additional assistance
Tags: 
Business and Finance, Travel