UAB Restricts International Travel Due To Coronavirus

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Amid concerns over the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has adjusted or canceled travel plans for areas including China, South Korea and Italy.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Currently, the CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China and South Korea. The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that all travelers returning from China self-monitor for symptoms within a 14-day period.

"As a result of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance consistent with U.S. State Department recommendations, UAB has implemented restrictions on university-sponsored travel to China, South Korea and Italy for students, faculty and staff due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus outbreak stemming from Wuhan, China," UAB said in a news release. "The State Department heightened its travel advisory for China on Jan. 30, 2020, urging citizens not to travel to the country after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency."

No cases of the virus have been reported at UAB, or in the state of Alabama.

Globally, at least 80,000 people have been infected and 2,700 people have died from the new coronavirus, creating a global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. It is spreading so quickly overseas that infectious disease experts and scientists warn there may be no way to contain it

The CDC said Monday that 53 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States.

UAB students with questions about travel should contact the Office of Education Abroad at 205-975-6611.