Dear Campus Community,
We understand many faculty, staff and students have questions regarding university-related travel, particularly in light of the COVID-19 situation during summer and fall 2020. We also acknowledge the desire to make international travel plans in the near future and the significant difficulty imposed by this uncertain period.
This message includes the most updated information available about travel protocol, travel insurance and travel reimbursement.
UCOP Directives and Campus Travel Protocol
According to directives issued by UCOP, all UC community members should temporarily avoid non-essential travel to countries with a Centers for Disease Control Travel Health Notice of Level 2 or higher . This impacts domestic travel because the United States is at CDC Level 2 status. In addition to the UCOP directive, and local to UC Merced, university travel to U.S. State Department “Do Not Travel” Level 4 locations requires an approval process .
All proposed travel to high-risk countries, including those with a CDC Level 2 (sustained community transmission) or Level 3 (widespread community transmission) notice, must be submitted in writing to UC Merced Risk Manager Cindi Zimmerman for approval by Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Gregg Camfield prior to scheduling travel. Check the CDC website for the latest information before traveling.
Travel Insurance
Please be reminded that faculty, students and staff who do not book their travel using Connexxus are required to register all travel whether funded by UC Merced or another entity. Travel booked through Connexxus is automatically registered with the UC Travel Insurance program. Registering has many benefits, including travel advisories for the locations that you travel to/through, and the ability for the UC to assist you rapidly in case of emerging incidents, medical emergencies, etc. For those who intend to travel using UC Merced resources or for campus-approved research or educational purposes, please review the approval process and seek essential travel approval beforehand.
Keep in mind that travel insurance does not cover foreseeable risk; therefore, any travel to areas with a U.S. State Department “Do Not Travel” Level 4 advisory will invalidate travel insurance benefits. UC personnel traveling to regions against this advisory do so potentially at their own physical and financial risk. For more information about travel insurance, please visit UC Risk Services .
Travel Reimbursement
.If your business travel has been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and you were not able to obtain a full refund of some or all of your expenses, you have options for requesting reimbursement, which can vary depending on how you booked your travel. A wide range of issues associated with travel impacted by COVID-19 are being addressed.
We thank you for your resilience during this crisis. We are committed to providing our campus community with the best experience possible. As such, we will continue to inform you of the latest developments regarding travel and COVID-19’s impact on international activity.
