Dear Cornell students, staff, and faculty in Europe,

By now, or by the time you get this message, you will have heard about President Trump’s announcement that foreign nationals who have been in or through Europe (defined as the Schengen Area) in the past 14 days will not be able to travel to the U.S. for 30 days, effective this Friday at midnight, EST. This ban is similar to the ban that the U.S. imposed on foreign nationals who had been in or through China when the virus first broke in January.

The announcement will not necessarily impact the near-term plans for most of you; if you are in Europe, you may still stay–provided you feel comfortable and well-cared for. Given the uncertainties that the news will create, however and the challenges with COVID-19 in Europe, we understand that many of you may prefer to depart.

If you would like to change your previous response to the survey we sent out last week, please access the survey again and fill out a new entry. If you can do this by Friday, March 13 at the close of business (EST), that will help us to support you most effectively.

Travelers who travel from or through Europe may be subject to airport evaluations and restrictions. We hope that these will not apply to any of you, but you should be prepared when you travel. It is also likely that travelers from Europe, even U.S. nationals, will be required to self-quarantine for up to 14 days.

I can only imagine how unsettling this new announcement is for you. I know this is a difficult situation, but please know that we are working hard to understand the full implications of the announcement. Please take care of yourselves, check in with your loved ones and friends, and reach out to Education Abroad at abroad@cornell.edu if you have questions about study abroad, or to Chris at intlsafety@cornell.edu if you have questions related to logistics, or reach out to Wendy at vpia@cornell.edu if you have any other questions–or if you just want to check in.

We will be back in touch soon,

Wendy Wolford, vice provost for international affairs
Brandon Lanners, executive director, Office of Global Learning
Chris Cook, manager, international travel health and safety