Important Holiday Travel Guidance and Reminders

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Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

November 17, 2020

Dear OSU students,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we ask you to please observe the following:

Comply with Gov. Kate Brown’s Two-Week Statewide Freeze order. Following the Governor’s Nov. 13 announcement of new public health requirements, the Oregonian newspaper reported that Oregon State Police will work with local law enforcement to enforce the Governor’s orders that include restricting gatherings to six people from no more than two households. You are expected to follow all other requirements set forth in the Governor’s freeze order and to follow OSU’s Physical Distancing Policy, both to keep yourself and your loved ones well, and to avoid student conduct action.

Get tested. All students who live in the Corvallis, Bend and Newport areas are invited to be tested through TRACE OSU through Thursday, Nov. 19. To ensure you get tested, please don’t delay until the end of the day on Thursday! Testing is an added precaution that will help you make good decisions on how to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. Remember, a negative test result does not confirm you do not have the virus and are not infectious, so continue to observe personal and public health measures and monitor your own wellness.

If you become infected or are exposed to a person who is confirmed to be infected, you must isolate or quarantine before traveling. Visit the Oregon Health Authority’s website for information on isolation and quarantine.

If you have not already received a flu shot, please do so. OSU Corvallis students can obtain a flu shot at Student Health Services. Call 541-737-9355 to schedule an appointment. Students at OSU-Cascades can seek a flu shot through their own provider or by contacting [email protected] for more information.

Plan carefully and limit your holiday travel. To limit exposing yourself and others to the virus that causes COVID-19, please limit your travel between communities. Also, be aware that the states of Oregon, California and Washington have issued travel advisories, recommending 14-day quarantines when engaging in interstate and international travel and asking residents to remain local and not travel across borders. Additionally, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is encouraging college students, where possible and practical, to remain in the communities where they are currently living. If you have tested negative for COVID-19 and plan to travel home or visit another location during the Thanksgiving holiday, we ask that you consider remaining there for the remainder of the term and through winter break, if possible. On-campus housing and dining services in both Corvallis and Bend will remain available for students who choose to live on campus.

Remember OSU in Corvallis is operating as fully remote for the remainder of fall term. Face-to-face teaching on the Corvallis campus will end on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Week 10 classes and fall term final exams and activities will be delivered remotely. You are not required to return to OSU’s Corvallis campus after the Thanksgiving break for the remainder of fall term.

Students at OSU-Cascades will continue to have the option to take classes remotely throughout fall term. Students should check their courses in Canvas for any updates regarding delivery modality.

Sign up for the Oregon Exposure Notification Pilot. Please help OSU deploy new technology to alert OSU community members when they have been exposed to someone who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. If you receive an exposure notification, you will have the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 test through TRACE-OSU. The system is built with privacy as a primary consideration and does not collect personal or location information. Details about the technology, the pilot and how to participate are available at https://beav.es/enx. Be COVID smart. Your phone can play a part.

Visit the following resources for helpful information on traveling, holiday celebrations and small gatherings.

Oregon State University: COVID-19 Winter Break Travel Guide

Oregon Health Authority: College Students: Heading Home for the Holidays?

Oregon Health Authority: Make Safety part of your Holiday Celebrations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings

Sincerely,

Dan Larson

Coronavirus Response Coordinator

Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Oregon State University

Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

624 Kerr Administration Building, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331