Coronavirus changes travel policies at NTNU

Update 4 March 2020: Please see updated policies and procedures from NTNU regarding the Coronavirus

NTNU has introduced travel guidelines in response to the coronavirus:

All travel to mainland China is cancelled / postponed.
All travel to other high-risk areas, currently northern Italy, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong and Singapore is cancelled / postponed.
If you return to Norway from areas where the virus has spread, currently China, Northern Italy, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Hong Kong and Singapore you must work from a home office for the first 14 days after you have returned. Students should not come to campus for the first 14 days after they have returned home from these areas.
Students and staff who have already travelled and find themselves in high-risk areas are advised to keep up-to-date on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s travel advice (only in Norwegian) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s recommendations. In addition, students are advised to follow the advice of local authorities and their host educational sites.
Rector Anne Borg at NTNU

“The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and we recommend staff and students who are traveling or who are planning to travel to follow travel recommendations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and information from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health” says Rector Anne Borg.

Status of the outbreak

The majority of those infected with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are still found in or have links to Hubei Province in central China, but more and more cases are being reported from other areas in China and from other countries. As of 26.2.2020, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Iran, South Korea and the Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto regions of Italy are considered as areas of persistent proliferation.

The situation is evolving and travel advice is being updated as new information becomes available.

Preventative advice

Avoid contact with sick persons.
Avoid contact with live and dead animals, and markets that sell animals and fresh produce.
Ensure good food hygiene.
Practice good hand hygiene, use hand disinfection when hand washing is not possible.
Practice good cough / sneezing hygine: Use a paper towel in front of your mouth and nose, or cough / sneeze into your elbow.

Keep up-to-date

NTNU recommends that staff and students who are travelling or who plan to travel to follow travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and recommendations from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. If you are travelling, you should also follow the advice and recommendations from local authorities.