COVID-19 Travel, Education and Visitor Policy

The information below is archived and is now out of date. For the most up to date Western-related information on COVID-19 please visit the Western COVID-19 website.

POLICY

Subject:                                 COVID-19 Travel, Education and Visitor Policy  

Approving Authority:          Senior Leadership Council  

Responsible Officer:            Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry  

Responsible Office:              Dean’s Office  

Effective Date:                      March 11, 2020

Updated:                                March 12, 2020
                                                March 15, 2020
                                                March 18, 2020

Corresponding Policies:      London Health Sciences Centre | St. Joseph's Health Care London
                                                 *You need your hospital login credentials to view the hospital policies.

Purpose

Section 1.0

Due to the changing nature and spread of COVID-19, and in an effort to minimize the potential risk to patients in our care, the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has adopted a new travel policy relating to all Schulich Medicine & Dentistry clinical/dental faculty, staff, and learners and for those who work in a clinical care environment.

The policy oversees travel for international residents, fellows, and visitors who are scheduled to come to Western University for training and or guest lectures.

It outlines the process for faculty, staff and learners who are not engaged in clinical or dental care or who don’t work in a hospital or clinical environment, or a research lab in a hospital or clinical care environment.

Definitions

This Policy applies to the following individuals:

Section 2.0

  • Schulich Medicine & Dentistry clinical/dental faculty members, staff members, and learners (undergraduate medical or dental and postgraduate medical or dental) who work or learn in a hospital environment or a clinical care environment including research labs.

  • Schulich Medicine & Dentistry faculty members, staff members, and learners (undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral) who work or learn in a research lab located in a hospital or clinical care environment.

Section 2.1

  • International learners, visitors and invited guest speakers.

Section 2.2

  • Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry faculty, staff and learners (undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral) who are NOT engaged in clinical or dental care, or who don’t work in a hospital or clinical environment, or a research lab in a hospital or clinical care environment will follow all Western University’s policies regarding COVID-19. Please visit Western’s COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date information. Any individual who has travelled internationally (including the United States) must self-isolate for 14 days upon return. This is in alignment with the Government of Canada travel advisory, March 13, 2020.

Policy

Section 3.0

I - Travel

  • All travel outside of Canada related to university business for groups in 2.0 and 2.1 including travel related to presentations at international meetings, electives, observerships, practicums, international learning or for humanitarian reasons is cancelled effective March 11, 2020 until further notice.

  • The Government of Canada is asking Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice.

  • All Schulich Medicine residents and fellows who have travelled internationally (including the United States) must self-isolate for 14 days upon their return. This is in alignment with the Government of Canada travel advisory, March 13, 2020. Only after 14 days, and if the resident or fellow is asymptomatic, will they return to their clinical training. If the clinical demands at the resident or fellow’s home hospital is critical and their support is required, they may be asked to return to their training prior to the completion of the 14 days, only if they are asymptomatic. They will be required to wear appropriate protective equipment upon their return.

  • All Schulich Medicine clinical faculty who have travelled internationally (including the United States) please follow your home hospital travel policies. Faculty working at London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London can review those policies through the individual hospital intranet sites.

  • All Schulich Medicine & Dentistry staff, Dentistry faculty and non-clinical faculty, staff or learners who work or learn in a hospital setting including a research lab who have travelled internationally (including the United States) must self-isolate for 14 days upon return. This is in alignment with the Government of Canada travel advisory, March 13, 2020.

  • Learners who are not able to participate in their curriculum or elective clinical learning may make it up later in the academic year or before the start of the next academic year.

II - Postgraduate medical and dental training, electives and fellowships, graduate and postdoctoral training

  • The intake of all short-term (one month or less) electives at Western University for international residents or fellows from any country will cease effective March 11, 2020, until further notice. International residents and fellows currently enrolled in a placement at Western University can proceed as usual.

  • All long-term (more than one month) international fellowships or resident training at Western University will continue. However, any residents or fellows coming from any country outside of Canada will be required to self-isolate once they arrive in Canada for at least 14 days before they can assume any clinical duties or spend time in a clinical environment. Proof showing date of arrival in Canada may be required before any individual assumes clinical duties.

  • All interviews for international residents and fellows for positions at Western University must be conducted virtually effective March 11, 2020, until further notice.

  • International graduate and postdoctoral training in labs located in the hospitals and clinical environments will continue. However, individuals coming from outside Canada will be required to self-isolate once they arrive in Canada for at least 14 days before they can commence their work in the labs located in the hospital or clinical environments. Proof showing date of arrival in Canada may be required before any individual assumes clinical duties.

III - Undergraduate medical and dental training, non-clinical and clinical learning, electives and observerships

  • All international electives for Schulich Medical students are cancelled until further notice.

  • All incoming international student elective clinical learning or observerships, research or core curricular education are cancelled until further notice. International learners currently enrolled in a placement at Western University can proceed as usual.

  • Any medical or dental student who has travelled internationally to any country will not be able to take part in curriculum until they have self-isolated for 14 days and are cleared by the Middlesex-London Health Unit or Windsor-Essex Health Unit.

IV - Invited visitors/Guest speakers

  • All international visitors/guest speakers who are scheduled to speak in a clinical environment including research labs situated in the hospitals must be cancelled effective March 11, 2020 until further notice, unless the event is moved to a non-clinical environment.

V - Refund process for cancelled travel

  • The COVID-19 outbreak has prompted many travel service providers to adjust their refund policies. Please contact the relevant transportation and your accommodation provider to explain about your cancelled travel and enquire about refund or credit options. If you purchased travel insurance or have a travel insurance benefit with your credit card, please make use of these services.

  • Should you incur any financial penalties due to the cancellation of your travel, please keep your receipts. Information will be provided under separate cover regarding the review process.