Dear GSAS Students,
Please be sure to review the email below, which provides important information on domestic and international travel.
I encourage you to review the University’s Coronavirus website as well, if you have not yet had a chance to visit it.
With all best wishes,
Emma Dench
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History and of the Classics
Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
We are notifying you of significant updates for:
- Domestic and international travel,
- Affiliates and visitors returning or arriving to campus, and
- On-campus meetings and events, including how to work and meet from home.
The policies and resources outlined below are available on harvard.edu/coronavirus and are effective immediately through at least April 30. We will continue to update you on new or changed guidance as needed.
TRAVEL: HARVARD BUSINESS AND PERSONAL
Travel can increase the risks of exposure to you and the community. Government travel restrictions and public health measures are changing rapidly. Those changes may make it difficult for you to return to campus and resume activities. See the travel guidance on Harvard’s coronavirus webpage.
International
- All University-related international travel is prohibited.
- All personal international travel is strongly discouraged.
Domestic
- All University-related non-essential domestic air travel is prohibited.
- We strongly urge extreme caution and judgment for your personal domestic travel.
- We strongly encourage you to consider alternative methods to communicate and hold meetings, such as teleconferencing.
RETURNING OR ARRIVING TO CAMPUS
Anyone—including affiliates and invited guests—who returns or arrives to campus from a location with a CDC level 3 travel warning for COVID-19, must:
- Complete this confidential health form at least 48 hours before your return/arrival to campus.
- Self-isolate using guidance from HUHS. Most self-isolations will last a minimum of 14 days.
ON-CAMPUS MEETINGS AND EVENTS
- We strongly discourage any non-essential meetings or events of 100 people or more.
- Academic classes and dining operations will continue as normal with heightened cleaning protocols.
- Organizers should postpone the gathering or use remote technology if possible. See Harvard’s on-campus meeting and event guidance.
PREPARE NOW
- Make preventive measures part of your routine now (cough/sneeze into your arm, replace handshakes with elbow bumps, don’t share food/bottles, hand wash more often than usual, avoid touching your face).
- Begin preparing your devices to work from home and practice using Zoom.
COMMUNICATION MATERIALS
- Please use and distribute HUHS’ communication resources—including fact sheets and posters—and post them in common areas around campus.
Please be assured that senior University leaders and School officials are meeting frequently to review, update, and communicate contingency plans. We recognize the challenges this coronavirus outbreak presents for our community and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation, assistance, and ongoing efforts to prevent the transmission of disease. To further that goal, we will continue to send regular announcements and update the Harvard coronavirus website.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber AB '77, PhD '82, MD
Provost, Harvard University
Katie Lapp
Executive Vice President, Harvard University
Giang T. Nguyen MD, MPH, MSCE, FAAFP
Executive Director, Harvard University Health Services
