For the safety of our faculty, staff, students, patients and visitors and to ensure that we remain prepared to serve those who need our care, the university is strongly discouraging all personal domestic and international travel due to COVID-19. This recommendation is in addition to recently announced business travel restrictions. (You can find a summary of related travel restrictions and requirements on our COVID-19 web site.)

Effective immediately, UTMB employees and students who decide to travel for personal reasons are required to report their travel to the university. An online form has been created (https://utmb.us/3v4) and should be used to inform UTMB of any personal travel plans. If you will be traveling both internationally and domestically, please complete two forms. Your UTMB username and password are required to log in to the form.

We strongly encourage all employees and students to carefully evaluate personal travel plans for domestic or international locations. With ongoing changes in the spread of COVID-19 around the world, you should (1) avoid places identified as “at risk”—understanding that the list of at-risk areas can change quickly, (2) be aware that the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 global public health threat may require you to alter your plans mid-trip, and (3) be prepared to self-isolate at home for 14 days upon your return, if deemed necessary by UTMB Health and/or your local public health authority.

Check the CDC’s COVID-19 travel page, State Department travel advisories and the International Air Transport Association’s list of travel and entry restrictions for the latest information before departing.

We also encourage all travelers to register with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and understand and routinely check any travel and border restrictions in transit, at your proposed destination and upon your return, as planned trips to certain countries may affect your ability to return to the United States or to your UTMB Health campus or clinic on schedule.

We respect the fact that travel restrictions are challenging, both personally and professionally, and I can assure you these decisions were not made lightly. But, they are an important way for us all to help control spread of COVID-19. 

Thank you for reporting all personal travel using the new form, so that we can all work together to help keep our university, our communities and those we serve safe, while ensuring our ability to fulfill our education, research and patient care missions.

Ben G. Raimer, MD, MA, FAAP
President ad interim