Gannon University has revised its travel policy as part of a continuing effort to revise and reevaluate original policies to better align with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest travel policy focuses on making travel safe but still discourages any unnecessary travel and follows the most recent recommendations made by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among the changes include university travel in limited capacity while following guidelines such as social distancing, as well as wearing a mask and a shortened quarantine time for employees after traveling.

According to Gannon, the new policy will be that when entering Pennsylvania from other states and countries, you must have a COVID-19 test either 72 hours prior or immediately upon arrival. You must quarantine until there is a negative test result. Otherwise, you must continue to quarantine for 10 days without a test.

Work-related travel for employees must be registered in advance through the Travel Registration Form and approved by the relevant vice president or designee. If testing is required, it will be completed at the University Services Building. Appointments can be made by emailing the Health and Counseling Center at [email protected].

Personal travel by employees, as well as students, must be registered at least seven days in advance through the form. Any personal travel for students should only be used for medical and family emergencies.

If quarantine or COVID-19 tests are required after any travel, the health and counseling center will guide the employee or student through the next steps after reviewing the travel registration form.

For students, the Gannon Health Center will also send an authorization for when you are allowed to return to campus and leave quarantine.

Students will be required to communicate the need for temporary remote learning to your professors. The Health Center will only assist if the travel was for medical reasons or family emergencies.

Out-of-state or international travel by students must also be recorded through the Travel Registration Form at least seven days in advance.

International travel should be registered through the travel form and CDC and state guidelines should be followed.

Changed from the last policy, Gannon is now allowing travel at a limited capacity. Before, all travel was discouraged.

For university-sponsored travel trips by students and employees, the travel rules will be outlined in advance by group leaders. Guidelines regarding travel, meals and lodging will all be made available. Testing will be made available before and after the trip. Students on group trips are not required to report their travel in the LiveSafe survey as the nurses will have the travel already documented.

Those who have been vaccinated are still required to be tested as usual and follow the guidelines.

While Gannon had planned to continue the ABST and TRAVEL trips as usual, all trips that were not within driving distance, which included all trips except the Detroit and Kentucky trips, were recently canceled.

In its place, Gannon started the Nature Experience program to allow students who were originally going on the ABST and TRAVEL trips to still be able to have a fun experience and remain safe.

These nature experiences are set to travel to the Poconos, Adirondack, Alleghany, Asheville and Blue Ridge Mountains and Hocking Hills.

Gannon plans to reevaluate over the summer with the possibility of summer ABST and TRAVEL trips.

Adriana LaCava, a junior sports marketing and management major, said that Gannon was looking out for its students and staff when considering new travel rules.

“While the world is slowly becoming normal again, Gannon is easing its way to normalcy as well,” LaCava said. “I have no doubt that Gannon will closely monitor the results this mandate has on COVID-19 and react swiftly to solve any issues.”

FAITH WILSON

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