Arizona State bans travel to China amid new virus outbreak
Policy does not apply to personal trips, university says
TEMPE — Arizona State University has issued a travel restriction to China days after a case of a deadly virus was confirmed in the community near Phoenix.
The ban is effective immediately for students, faculty and staff traveling on behalf of the university and will remain until the outbreak is contained, University President Michael Crow said Tuesday.
“No institution-related travel, such as study abroad or other academic program visits, to China will be authorized or approved by the university. This travel restriction is similar to restrictions many businesses and organizations across the U.S. have implemented,” the advisory said.
University spokesman Jerry Gonzalez told The Arizona Republic that the policy does not apply to personal travel.
The announcement comes after the Department of Health Services diagnosed a person under the age of 60 in the university community with the virus on Sunday and follows a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention against nonessential travel to China.
The person does not live in university housing and has been in isolation since returning from Wuhan, China, health officials said. The person only had close contact with five people since their return and those people are also being monitored closely, officials said.
Employees at stores near the Tempe campus told other outlets that they were running out of face masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, the Republic reported.
University officials are working closely with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services to monitor the situation, officials said.
Some students have started an online petition, which has collected more than 18,000 signatures, to cancel class until areas are properly disinfected.
Classes will not be cancelled, university officials said.