Nov. 5, 2020 – COVID-19 Travel Reminders
Dear Vanderbilt Students,
As we approach the end of the semester, I wanted to share some reminders as some of you think about your departure from campus later this month. We are just over two weeks away from the last day of in-person classes on Friday, Nov. 20. It is extremely important that during this time period, you follow all campus protocols to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 and becoming a confirmed positive or being identified as a close contact to a confirmed positive case. If you need to isolate or quarantine going forward, it may affect your ability to return home on your planned date of departure from campus.
As you know, it can take five to eight days for an individual to develop COVID-19 symptoms. If a student is a confirmed positive, they must isolate for a minimum of 10 days. Students who are identified as close contacts of confirmed positive cases must quarantine for 14 days.
Unless a student who is a confirmed positive or an identified close contact drives themselves home alone in their own vehicle or has arranged to have their family drive them home, they will need to complete their isolation or quarantine in Nashville, either in on-campus quarantine and isolation spaces if currently living on campus or in their off-campus residence. Students who select one of the options for departing campus described above must complete an acknowledgement, which can be requested through the Office of the Dean of Students.
If you are traveling domestically, many states have recently updated or issued guidelines about their travel requirements. Make sure you have read through your state’s requirements before you depart and plan what you need to have with you when entering your home state, like a copy of a negative test result. The Vanderbilt Travel and Global Safety and Security teams will discuss how best to prepare for departure from campus in November, including domestic and international entry/exit requirements, during the Traveling During COVID-19: Preparing to Leave Campus online session at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
I encourage you to think about your planned date of departure and determine if you should sign up for an optional asymptomatic test before you leave campus. It is recommended that you take a test as close to your planned departure as possible.
As a reminder, here are some ways you can avoid becoming a close contact:
- Dine only under conditions that are as safe as possible – this means no meals with others unless there is more than 6 feet of space for physical distancing between all at the table.
- Practice physical distancing and mask wearing at all times and limit interactions with non-Vanderbilt community members.
- Go out only for essentials, such as grocery or medical needs.
- Avoid restaurants and bars and do not host or attend social gatherings.
- Participate in university-sponsored activities and programs, all of which adhere to safety protocols.
Mark Bandas
Associate Provost and Dean of Students