Dear Members of the Campus Community,
We are writing to provide updates regarding Lehigh’s travel policy during the semester for students, faculty and staff.
Please be reminded that university travel requires approval and continues to be limited. For all travel, including personal travel, Lehigh’s return to campus/work policies take into account recommendations and guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention; in some cases, there may be additional Lehigh-specific requirements.
Read below for specific travel requirements for students, faculty and staff. These are subject to change as conditions and guidance evolve, and any updates should be followed. Please note also that the quarantine requirements for travel differ from quarantine requirements for those who came into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19; always follow the medical guidance provided in those cases.
For students-
During the semester, once students have arrived on campus or in Bethlehem and completed the arrival testing and quarantining process, they should not travel away from the Bethlehem area, except for emergency circumstances, as this will reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the coronavirus. This includes trips home to visit family and friends, and especially to other college campuses or for related social activities. If they must travel, students should follow the revised travel/return to campus policy, updated February 2, 2021. This protocol has been updated for the spring and is different than the requirements communicated previously, so please be sure to read them carefully. This policy is specific to travel away from campus; late arrivals should follow the full arrival testing and quarantining process if arriving in Bethlehem for the first time.
For faculty and staff-
University-related travel must receive Dean, Vice President, or Provost approval. For all travel, including personal travel, before returning to work, Lehigh requires that faculty and staff leaving Pennsylvania either quarantine for 14 days upon returning home OR complete a COVID-19 test just prior to or upon their return to Pennsylvania; for the latter, employees who demonstrate a negative test result would only be required to quarantine until they receive their negative result. These requirements do not apply to people who commute to and from another state for work or medical treatment.
Resources:
-COVID-19 Response Team