The current situation in respect of COVID-19 is extremely fluid and changes daily. Please be alert to any updates distributed by the University.
The health of staff and students of the University is the institution’s top priority during the COVID-19 watch period (Corona Virus). The situation has moved quickly from an outbreak in one part of the world just two months ago to the list of affected geographic spaces across the globe growing almost daily. Travel, most particularly international travel, is clearly a major factor in the spread of the disease.
At this point in time, it is impossible to predict what destinations will be safe to travel to in the next few months, and the University is discouraging staff and students from making new conference and collaboration travel arrangements until such time as a clear direction is provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) that the spread of the virus has been contained, and an end point to the outbreak is in sight.
Careful circumspection should be used in proceeding with current planned and essential international travel, taking care to ascertain in advance the degree of risk by consulting the web sites of the WHO and the NICD, and the nature of the event being attended as well as the likely cross section of attendees. It is a fluid situation, and the following web sites provide a useful real-time map of known reported cases - large red dots representing high risk travel destinations:
https://infographics.channelnewsasia.com/covid-19/map.html
https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
The University has also established a website platform for information:
Until such time as the spread of the virus has been contained, the University is taking special measures to safeguard the health and welfare of those studying, working and living on our campus.
Suspension of Travel
The following travel is suspended until further notice:
- All staff and student exchanges to international destinations (both incoming and outgoing)
- All staff and student travel international and local high-risk areas
- All visitors (inclusive of students, lecturers, researchers, collaborators) travel from international high-risk areas
- All non-essential staff and student travel nationally.
Travel Considerations
If any member of staff or a student is contemplating travelling, the following questions should be asked:
- Is the travel really essential/necessary?
- Could the activity be undertaken by email?
- Could the activity be undertaken remotely, for example, by telephone, by Skype, by Whatsapp audio/video?
- Could the visit, meeting, workshop, conference be postponed?
- Could the visit, meeting, workshop, conference be cancelled without major consequences?
All staff and students who intend to undertake travel outside the border of South Africa must submit a declaration to the International Office. The declaration must be made using the Declaration of International Travel form (see Declaration of International Travel Form). The information in the declaration comprises inter alia an itinerary of countries and cities to be visited, their status as regards reported cases of the COVID-19 virus, and the nature of the visit (for example, visiting family, field trip, international conference). In the case of the attendance of an event at which a broad section of international delegates will be present, details must be provided of how the risk of infection at the conference (or other event) is being managed by the organisers. On return from an international trip that might in any way have exposed the member of staff or student to the virus, a telephonic report must be submitted to the Health Care Centre and the International Office, and guidance should be taken on the need for a self-quarantine period before coming onto campus.
Staff and students are reminded that the University is part of a world class digital network (the TENET NREN) with sophisticated collaboration and communication tools. Where possible, international research and other collaborations should continue by using technology solutions.
Travel Requirements
The following travel requirements are of immediate effect:
- International visitors to the University are required to make telephonic contact with the Health Care Centre and the International Office, and guidance should be taken on the need for a self-quarantine period before coming onto campus.
- For any and all academic excursions nationally, academic staff and students need to make sensible value judgments about the destination, and delay the excursion, if the excursion is non-essential, or poses a risk of potential infection.
- For any and all sporting activities, academic staff and students need to make sensible value judgments about the destination, and delay the sporting activity, if the sporting activity is non-essential, or poses a risk of potential infection.
- Acknowledging that it is a fluid situation, the Research T&S Committee will continue to review proposals.
Notwithstanding the above, members of staff and students should be vigilant around changing circumstances and respond accordingly.
Travel Funding
The following travel funding protocol is of immediate effect:
- Awards will only be made where the travel risk is low.
- Under the current circumstances, national travel funding will go ahead in the foreseeable future.
- Grant support for international conferences in high-risk areas will not be made.
- International travel support to currently safe countries will be made only on condition that there is enough of a lead time (4 months will be used as a rule of thumb) for intended participants to be able to wait it out for a while to better assess the travel situation before making a booking.
The usually sensible practice of booking non-refundable air tickets well in advance to get discounts is not a good trade-off in the current context. The number of reported cases in a particular country can change significantly in a few weeks, and there is a real possibility that the event to be attended could be cancelled as a precautionary measure, particularly where wide international participation is envisaged. A number of academic conferences have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks.
Travel Hygiene
All staff and students who do elect to travel must observe the following travel hygiene:
- Carry hand sanitiser at all times.
- Use hand sanitiser often and following contact with door handles/knobs, armrests, chairs, countertops.
- As far as is possible, remain 1 metre from the next person in queues.
- Frequently touched and shared objects such as bank cards, student cards, money and cell phones should be sanitised.
- Practice coughing etiquette.
Travel Updates
The current situation in respect of COVID-19 is extremely fluid and changes daily. Please be alert to any updates distributed by the University.
ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS & ADVANCEMENT DIVISION ON BEHALF OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND THE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE TASK TEAM (CVRTT)