This is an email sent to CalArts supervisors on Travel and Quarantine Guidelines.
Dear CalArts Supervisors,
We would like to inform you of a significant change that is being made to our COVID-19 CalArts Returns guidelines regarding individuals being on campus after having been out of the State of California.
It is very important that you communicate to the faculty and/or staff in your area the nature of this guideline change so that members of our community will be aware of the impact that travel outside of California might make on their ability to be on campus in the short-term.
The CalArts Returns updated guidelines document will be distributed this week; one revised passage of the travel-related items will read as follows:
Students, faculty and staff coming to campus from higher-risk in-state counties, higher-risk national travel (as determined by CDC-confirmed surges in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and/or deaths – see link below) and all international travel should be screened and if determined to be at elevated risk, are suggested (but not required) to be PCR tested prior to coming to campus. Individuals who have traveled outside of the State of California or who have traveled to CalArts from outside of the State of California will be asked to self-quarantine at home for a fourteen (14) day period. If no symptoms are present after fourteen (14) days they will be allowed to return to campus. For employees, they will be allowed to work remotely during that self-quarantine period if their position allows for that to occur; if remote working is not possible during that period employees should use accrued paid leave or should consult with Human Resources to make alternative arrangements if they have insufficient accrued paid leave. Please refer to CDC guidance at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html. To confirm high-risk areas nationally and internationally go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html
Clearly it is vitally important that employees understand that a decision to travel outside of California will have an impact on their ability to be on campus before the required 14-day quarantine is over; if an individual is able to work remotely during that period (especially since only essential employees are allowed to be on campus at this point), there would be no impact, however if that is not possible, then accrued paid leave could be affected unless alternative arrangements can be explored.
If you receive vacation requests we would like to ask that you make the nature of this guideline (and its potential impact) clear to your colleagues so that individuals can make plans with all of the necessary information, and that you discuss this generally with all employees in your area irrespective of leave requests.
Obviously, navigating the conditions imposed by this public health crisis is challenging and often unsettling, however the Institute has elected to make the health of our campus community - all of us - the top priority, and this guideline is consistent with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations regarding travel.
If you have questions, please call us or email to CovidCompliance@calarts.edu, and thank you in advance for your support and collaboration in making health a priority.
Thank you,
Maria-Victoria Perez
Jesse Smith
COVID-19 Compliance Co-officers