Coronavirus Advisory

Update 18 Feb 2020:

Lackland Air Force Base is now hosting an additional 145 individuals in quarantine as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The new evacuees arrived in San Antonio Feb. 17 and had been on a cruise ship in Japan where conoravirus had been transmitted. They will remain in quarantine for two weeks. Public health officials reiterate there is little risk to the San Antonio community.

Update 13 Feb 2020:

A patient under quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was diagnosed Wednesday with coronavirus. The individual is in stable condition and is in isolation at an area hospital. Officials with the City of San Antonio say the risk to the general public remains low.

Update 10 Feb 2020:

• Lackland Air Force Base is one of five military bases around the country hosting Americans who were flown out of Wuhan, China by the federal government to escape the Coronavirus outbreak.
• Individuals who were flown to San Antonio are not showing symptoms of Coronavirus and were tested four times prior to landing in San Antonio, including during a refueling stop at Travis Air Force Base in California.
• They will be quarantined for 14 days at Lackland’s Gateway Inn, which is separated from the general public. Its perimeter will be fenced off, and federal marshals will secure the area for the duration of their stay.
• Military personnel will not have any contact with the evacuees. Lackland AFB is providing updates to the general public on   its website.
• UTSA has no students, faculty or staff working or visiting Lackland AFB.
• Additionally, we do not have any faculty, staff or students in China or other designated high-risk areas on official university business.
• Out of an abundance of caution, and for the well-being of our campus community, the university has restricted all official university travel to China until international health officials declare that the emergency has passed.
• UTSA is coordinating regionally with the   San Antonio Metropolitan Health District  and monitoring guidance from the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control. We are providing updates to our campus community as needed.

US State Department issues Level 4 Advisory- DO NOT TRAVEL for all of China

Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. On January 30, the World Health Organization has determined the rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice.Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China.

Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus. 

In an effort to contain the novel coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have suspended air, road, and rail travel in the area around Wuhan and placed restrictions on travel and other activities throughout the country. On January 23, 2020, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members from Wuhan. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Hubei province.

The    U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Warning for all of China.

CORONAVIRUS ADVISORY (Updated 30 Jan 2020)

Update on UTSA’s monitoring of the Coronavirus

Sent on behalf of Dr. Lisa Montoya, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Senior International Officer, and Dr. Beth Wichman, Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer, Student Health Services

The   World Health Organization  today declared the   Coronavirus outbreak  a global public health emergency. The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has resulted in more than 8,000 reported cases in China and more than 100 cases elsewhere in the world. That includes six confirmed cases in the United States, one of which is a person-to-person transmission.

UTSA continues to closely monitor global developments and their potential impact on our international studies programs.   Currently, there are no faculty, staff or students in China or other designated high-risk areas on official university business.

The UTSA   Office of Global Initiatives  and UTSA Student Health Services are in communication with several students, scholars, faculty and staff who were in China on university business from December to mid-January, when the outbreak occurred.   While all of them are symptom-free, they have been advised to immediately call their health care providers and self-quarantine if they develop flu-like symptoms.   Students should contact their professors in the event accommodations are needed.

Out of an abundance of caution, and for the well-being of our campus community, UTSA is restricting all official university travel to China until international health officials declare that the emergency has passed.

While the university cannot restrict private travel, we strongly urge any students who may have been to China or designated high-risk areas in December and January to   contact Student Health Services  for a wellness check and health assessment. Faculty and staff should contact UTSA Chief Medical Officer   Beth Wichman, M.D.  for an initial assessment and recommendation on subsequent clinical evaluation by their health care providers.

As a reminder, taking routine   precautions  can help you avoid viruses and remain healthy during flu season. Free flu shots remain available to students   by appointment, while supplies last, through Student Health Services.

UTSA is coordinating regionally with the   San Antonio Metropolitan Health District  and monitoring guidance from the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control. We will provide updates to our campus community as needed.

Read the latest CDC Update   here

Read the latest Department of State Travel Advisory Updates   here

Global Initiatives

CORONAVIRUS

An outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China is being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additional cases have been confirmed in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. 

Authorities are imposing travel restrictions and comprehensive screening measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It has been confirmed that the virus can be transmitted by humans.

Read the full update from the CDC   here.

Read the Department of State Travel Advisory Updates   here

Travel Advice

• Maintain flexible itineraries when traveling and allow for extra time to go through screening procedures at airports, railway and bus stations, and other transportation hubs
• Do not travel if you are sick
• Avoid wet markets and farms
• Keep a distance from people who are obviously sick
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer
• Avoid direct contact with animals (dead or alive)
• Seek medical attention if you develop symptoms, especially a fever or shortness of breath
• Monitor up-to-date information about the virus from the CDC, International SOS, and local media

If you have any questions or concerns please call UTSA Global Initiatives at (210) 458-7211.