wexner medical center

Ohio State students, faculty and staff who return from China after 5 p.m. Feb. 2 will not be permitted to attend work, class or participate in any campus activity for two weeks. Credit: Amal Saeed | Photo Editor

In addition to the restriction on university-sponsored travel, Ohio State will now require a self-quarantine for recent travelers from China, according to a universitywide email update on the coronavirus. 

Students, faculty and staff who return from China after Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. will not be permitted to attend work, class or participate in any campus activity for two weeks, according to the email. The restriction does not apply to travel from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. 

“The reason for more strict restrictions is because the increase in coronavirus cases in China in recent days has increased the infection risk for more recent travelers,” the email reads. 

According to the email, the university will work with anyone impacted by the restriction to find the proper accommodations for completing school work or job attendance. 

The restrictions are in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of State, according to the email. 

As of Thursday, the university temporarily restricted university-sponsored travel to China for all faculty, staff and students effective immediately through March 6 in light of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a universitywide email. Any personal travel through March 6 must be reported to the university at [email protected].

The disease originated in Wuhan, China, according to the CDC website. According to the World Health Organization, there were 14,557 global cases as of Sunday.

Of the 14,557 cases, 14,411 are in China, according to WHO, and 304 of the Chinese cases have resulted in death.

There are no confirmed cases in Ohio and “day-to-day” university behaviors are not changing, according to the email. 

According to the Thursday email, both the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and Student Health Services have measures in place to screen symptoms and follow public health protocols in the event of an illness.