University-Sponsored/Affiliated Travel Suspended to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus

March 08, 2022

Due to the current geopolitical climate in Eastern Europe, which includes an active war zone, stringent economic sanctions, and "do not travel" warnings from the U.S. Department of State, travel to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus by Drexel University employees and/or students on university-sponsored or affiliated travel is suspended until further notice. This is effective immediately.

COVID-19 Booster required for Travel

December 15, 2021

Due to the growing impact of the Omicron variant and emerging data indicating the additional protection afforded by booster doses of vaccine, effective 1/3/2021, all Drexel travelers participating in any university-related travel are required to be fully vaccinated and have received a booster dose of vaccine for COVID-19 at least 7 days prior to travel. Drexel will be offering booster clinics in January, and the booster is available at local pharmacies. Travel by non-vaccinated travelers with a medical or religious exemption may be considered on a case-by-case basis. International travel must be reviewed by the Essential Travel Review Committee. Domestic travelers must seek approval via their supervisor or designated departmental travel approver. Additionally, all travelers must confirm that funding for their travel fits within the unit’s existing budgets. Travelers having difficulty in obtaining a booster should contact covid19travel@drexel.edu.

Updated Testing Requirements for Entry to US

December 03, 2021

Effective 12/2/21, the United States government has changed the testing requirement for all travel to the United States which now must occur ONE DAY before travel. Drexel travelers should review carefully the full details on the CDC website. US Embassies maintain COVID-19 information on their websites including the availability of in-country testing. 

Omicron variant detected

December 01, 2021

Drexel International Health, Safety and Security is monitoring closely the news of a recently-discovered COVID-19 variant, Omicron. The variant was originally detected in southern Africa, but has been reported in other parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, Hong Kong and now also in the United States. In the coming weeks it is expected that we will learn more about the Omicron variant including if it is more transmissible, causes more or less severe disease than other variants of SARS Co-V-2, or if vaccination or prior infection protects against infection. We will be closely monitoring these developments to assess their implications for Drexel travelers.

For now, Drexel international travelers are advised to monitor closely travel restrictions in different countries, practice pro-active public health measures such as masking, social distancing and frequent hand washing and to obtain a booster when it is available to you. Travelers are advised to obtain a booster prior to travel as it is unlikely that it may be easily accessed while travelling.   

CDC Updates Guidance for International Travel

June 07, 2021

The United States Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention recently updated its international travel guidance for fully-vaccinated travelers. The CDC revised its  assessment methodology for Travel Health Notices for international travel to better differentiate between countries with severe outbreaks and those where COVID-19 persists, but its spread is more controlled. This adjustment resulted in changes to the Travel Health Notices for more than 120 countries, lowering levels for many countries. In addition, the Travel Health Notices now offer separate guidance for vaccinated travelers.

University-related international travel is limited and continues to be reviewed by the Essential Travel Review Committee. For more information, visit COVID-19 Essential Travel Guidance or contact Covid19travel@drexel.edu.

Recent Changes to State Department Advisories

April 20, 2021

On April 20, the US Department of State updated its methodology for determining the advisory level for countries around the world to place a greater importance on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travel Health Notices for COVID-19. As a result, recent updates to the Travel Advisories for the majority of countries may not reflect a change in the safety or security environment, but rather the continuing challenges of COVID-19 in many countries. Nearly 80% of the Travel Advisories have been raised to a Level 4: Do not travel. 

Drexel's International Health, Safety and Security uses many resources in evaluating destinations abroad including COVID-19 infection rates, health care capacity, vaccination rates and risk assessments from many organizations including the US government. All university-affiliated international travel will be reviewed by the Essential Travel Review Committee (ETRC), the body that reviews University travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and will take into account all of these factors in its review process. The safety and security of Drexel travelers remains a priority in all decision-making. Information on the ETRC review process can be viewed on the procurement website.   

 

Fall Intensive Courses Abroad Discontinued

April 05, 2021

Given the unique logistical and safety concerns of offering Intensive Courses Abroad during the pandemic and the uncertainty of the vaccine rollout worldwide, the Office of Global Engagement has made the difficult decision to discontinue the September 2021 offerings. The safety of Drexel and students remain a priority in assessing program offerings. This decision has been communicated to students and faculty involved in the September ICAs.

New COVID-19 Requirements for Entry to the US

February 02, 2021

The US government recently implemented a new entry requirement of a negative COVID-19 test result 72 hours prior to departure or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before the boarding of any flights to the United States from international destinations. This requirement applies to all travelers, including US citizens. US Embassies are providing detailed information on testing availability in each country. Drexel travelers should carefully review the availability of an acceptable COVID-19 testing facility in their destination prior to their departure from the United States. 

CDC Introduces new COVID-19 Travel Health Notices

November 21, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently introduced new COVID-19 specific Travel Health Notices for international destinations and United States Territories. The new advisory system uses four levels, ranging from Level 1: Low level of COVID-19, Exercise normal travel precautions to Level 4: Very high level of COVID-19, Avoid all travel. The levels are based upon the incidence rate of COVID-19 per 100,000 people over the past 28 days, new case trajectories, in-country hospitalization rates and cumulative testing positivity rates. Most countries are at a Level 4: Avoid all travel. For more information on the University policies regarding travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, see the COVID-19 Essential Travel Guidance. The CDC will maintain its three level system for non-COVID 19 related Travel Health Notices.  

Drexel maintains restrictions on international travel for Winter 2021

October 16, 2020

As Drexel continues to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic domestically and abroad, it has made the difficult decision to forego international travel for all Drexel students for the Winter 2021 term. This includes all education abroad, international co-op and non-credit experiences abroad. Faculty and staff international travel also remains prohibited. Faculty and staff may contact Covid19travel@drexel.edu if they have questions about any upcoming travel.