November 11, 2020

To:    Campus Community

Fr:     David Marshall, Executive Vice Chancellor
         Garry Mac Pherson, Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services
         Dr. Laura Polito, Student Health

Re:    ADVICE FOR FACULTY & STAFF CONSIDERING TRAVEL DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC - Guidance about Leaving and Returning to the Santa Barbara Area

UCSB campus medical experts and Santa Barbara County Public Health officials strongly recommend that you avoid traveling as much as possible during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Avoiding travel minimizes the risk to you of getting COVID-19, and of transmitting the virus to people you encounter while traveling as well as to those you encounter at your destination. It also reduces the risk of bringing the virus back to your family and our community from other areas. https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/

For those who are going to travel during this pandemic, the following information is guidance to keep you and your community safe before, during and after your travels.

If circumstances require you to travel away from home, we recommend the following:

Prior to Departure:

  • For the two weeks prior to leaving, monitor yourself for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 infection
  • Don’t travel if you have been sick in the past 14 days or if you live with someone who has COVID-19
  • Don’t travel with someone who is sick
  • Wear a face covering in public
  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Maintain a 6-foot distance from anyone outside of your household
  • Consider downloading to your cell phone "CA COVID Notify," a new Exposure Notification System from Google and Apple sponsored by the State of California; look for details for it to be available for UCSB students & employees after 11/16/2020

While Away…

  • Wear a mask at all times
  • Maintain physical distancing
  • Avoid social gatherings
  • Wash your hands frequently

Upon Returning…

  • Arrange for testing within 48 hours of returning at either of these locations
  • Monitor yourself for any COVID-19 symptoms, and if you are required to be on campus or live in campus housing, resume the UCSB Daily COVID-19 Screening survey
  • For the next 14 days, keep your social interactions to a minimum and maintain physical distancing as much as possible, since you may still develop COVID-19 from your travel exposures
  • If symptoms develop, remain at home, and contact the UCSB COVID-19 response team weekdays or your regular healthcare provider:
  • For faculty, staff or students required to be on campus, or living in campus housing, resume the weekly recommended surveillance testing at UCSB Campus Testing
  • For faculty and staff not required to come to campus, consider a second test 7 days after your first test to ensure no disease has developed, available through Santa Barbara County Public Health Testing
  • If both tests are negative
    • You may resume your usual activities while continuing to follow all COVID-19 public health protocols
    • Wear a face covering at all times when outside of your residential unit, except while eating or exercising
    • Maintain physical distancing at all times
    • Frequently wash your hands
    • Continue to monitor for symptoms.  Click here for tips on protecting yourself and your community after you travel.

If you are leaving the country, please see the CDC travel destination information.

There are currently no restrictions for entering California if you are coming from another state in the U.S or foreign country. However, this could quickly change and you should continue to look for any updates prior to your arrival in the Santa Barbara area.