Approximately 95 students had enrolled in these programs to date.

The health and safety of UW–Madison participants remains our number one priority. UW Study Abroad, in conjunction with other University of Wisconsin administrators as well as internal and external experts, continues to closely monitor and review developments related to COVID-19 and travel safety as they become known, and will provide updates and further guidance as needed.

Dear UW-Madison faculty and staff,

I am requesting your support in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 (or novel coronavirus) in our community. We’re reminding those faculty and staff who are either planning or returning from international trips to follow a set of additional precautions.

• For those faculty and staff returning from Italy, South Korea and mainland China or any other country under a Level 3 CDC Travel Health Notice, when you arrive home, you should not return to the workplace for 14 days. To protect the community, you should self-quarantine for 14 days and monitor for symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) during this time. This guidance applies to both personal and business-related trips. Self-quarantine or isolation means staying at home and not going to your workplace, campus or out in your community. Please contact your supervisor or HR representative for more information about remote work and leave options; campus policies for these remain in effect.
• For those returning from any location under a Level 2 CDC Travel Health Notice, we advise that when you arrive home, you self-monitor for 14 days for symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath).
• If you develop symptoms, please call your health provider before going to seek care.
• In addition, if you have upcoming international travel plans for either Spring Break or other business-related reasons, it is advisable to reconsider them. There could be substantial travel delays and/or new restrictions, along with possible prolonged isolation when you return home, with significant impact on your personal and professional plans.

The CDC maintains a travel information website related to COVID-19, and specifically recommends avoiding all nonessential travel to countries at Warning Level 3. If you have travel insurance, you may want to review your plan to ensure it does not exclude pandemic outbreaks. UW-Madison’s CISI international health and medical insurance policy specifically excludes security evacuation due to the risk of pandemic/epidemic disease, although the medical evacuation benefit for a traveler who falls ill due to disease and requires further care remains intact under the policy.

UW–Madison continues to actively monitor this global health crisis, while also planning ahead to mitigate the impact should it spread more widely. UW-Madison is also reviewing plans in case of large-scale absenteeism of faculty and staff and how it could impact the semester.

To help prevent the spread of any disease, University Health Services recommends following these general best health practices to prevent sickness:

• Wash hands often with soap and water
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home when sick
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and cough and sneeze into your elbow

If you have any questions about these recommendations, please contact your school, college or unit human resources representative. Additional guidance may be forthcoming.

Information about COVID-19 is available at the UHS COVID-19 informational website on uhs.wisc.edu.  This comprehensive website has resources, updates, and answers commonly asked questions about COVID-19.

I appreciate everyone’s support during this challenging situation. Our goal is to work together to ensure our students, faculty and staff, our campus and our community remain safe.

Jake Baggott
Executive Director, University Health Services
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Health and Wellbeing

To our campus community,

As COVID-19 – previously known as 2019 novel coronavirus – continues to spread across the world, we want to share that the risk to UW–Madison faculty, staff, and students remains low.

UW–Madison continues to actively monitor this global health crisis in collaboration with Public Health Madison & Dane County, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Anyone believed to be at risk for COVID-19 will be contacted by Public Health Madison & Dane County.

Under guidance from the CDC, UW–Madison has suspended university-sponsored programming in Italy, South Korea, and mainland China. Students who were overseas have been advised to return to their permanent address in the United States, to self-quarantine for 14 days (stay home and do not go to work, classes, athletic events, or other social gatherings) and to monitor for fever, cough, and difficulty breathing following their arrival. We do not anticipate the majority of these students returning immediately to the UW–Madison campus. The university is providing direct support and resource information to all students who will be transitioning back to the U.S.

The CDC and Wisconsin health officials shared this week that the United States is preparing for the possibility of widespread transmission. In this event, plans might include the limiting of campus activities. University Health Services (UHS) is continuing to collaborate with public health partners and area health care providers to make sure that should a case present itself, the campus is able to limit or prevent further spread.

UW–Madison is also preparing through the efforts of health and safety leaders from across campus. Dating back to H1N1 in 2009, we have a set of protocols and plans that we’re in the process of reviewing and updating.

So what else should you do to protect yourself?

At this time, UHS recommends following general best health practices to prevent sickness:

• Wash hands often with soap and water

• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick

• Stay home when sick

• Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and cough and sneeze into your elbow.

Continue to visit the UHS COVID-19 informational website on uhs.wisc.edu. This comprehensive website has resources, updates, and answers commonly asked questions about COVID-19. Please take time to review the FAQs.

It’s important to keep in mind that we’re all in this together and need to continue to act with empathy and understanding. COVID-19 is not specific to an ethnicity or race. No one should be discriminated against or harassed based on their identity or travel history. If you experience discrimination or harassment, we encourage you to report it so appropriate action can be taken. Students may contact the Dean of Students Office or the Office of Compliance and employees may contact their human resources representative or the Office of Compliance.

We will continue to monitor this situation and provide additional updates to the campus community.

Jake Baggott
Executive Director, University Health Services
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Health and Well-being

Depending on your destination, you may have to reach difficult decisions to change or even cancel plans to ensure your own well-being and timely return to Madison.

In many countries, there may be new entry and exit control measures, and even quarantines implemented with very little notice during the coming weeks. These actions could severely impact your plans and/or delay your return home with personal cost.

Because this situation is likely to continue to rapidly change in the weeks ahead, we highly encourage you to check both U.S. Department of State and Centers for Disease Control websites to find updated guidance for your destination as well as for those countries you may plan to transit.

For more information, read Chancellor Blank’s message.

UW-Madison has recalled 170 students who are studying abroad in Italy. We are working with our partners in Italy to ensure this is accomplished in a safe and orderly manner.  Our partner institutions are developing the opportunity for students to complete their planned academic curriculum via distance-learning options.

UW-Madison remains in close coordination with local, state and federal agencies to ensure that our decisions, made on behalf of students’well-being, are founded on the most up-to-date information possible.

In accordance with UW–Madison international travel policy, this decision was reached due to the CDC raising their warning level to a 3: Avoid Nonessential Travel for South Korea.

UW–Madison had five students enrolled in exchanges in South Korea this Spring semester in exchanges with Yonsei University and Korea University in Seoul. UW–Madison informed all five students and our partners in Korea. Study abroad programming had previously been suspended for China.

UW–Madison will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates on any other program changes.