HOUSTON – A few students and faculty members at the University of Houston are on self-quarantine after returning from countries on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Level 2 and 3 lists, said school officials on Wednesday in a press release.
School officials told KPRC 2 that two faculty members and four UH students returned from Italy and South Korea and are under the self-quarantine. Two more people connected to the school are expected to return to Houston by the end of the week, officials said.
UH Chancellor Khator released the following statement:
"We continue to follow closely the global spread of COVID-19 and its potential impact on our university communities. The international profile of our universities, which includes routine travel abroad in both official and personal capacities, means we must be especially vigilant in determining when anyone in our universities has become potentially exposed to the virus and take responsible actions to contain and prevent its spread.
The University of Houston System has issued a COVID-19 Exposure Prevention Statement It requires any students, faculty or staff returning from travel to countries under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Warning related to coronavirus to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days away from campus. This ensures that anyone who has returned and develops symptoms of COVID-19 will not inadvertently spread the virus to others on our campuses.
As Spring Break approaches, it is important for anyone considering personal international travel especially to China, Iran, South Korea, Italy or Japan to clearly understand the implications on their return to the United States and to campus. As Chancellor, my number one priority is to ensure that our universities remain safe and healthy.
For a detailed explanation of this policy statement and additional information about COVID-19, please visit this UHS website."