• Monkeypox
• Invasion in Ukraine
• COVID-19

Monkeypox

What is monkeypox? 
Monkeypox is in the viral family of orthopoxviruses (or poxviruses for short). The first animal case was a monkey (hence the name) in 1958. The first human case of monkeypox was discovered in 1970 in Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, it’s become endemic in West and Central Africa. It’s not unusual to have a case randomly pop up outside of this area. In 2021, for example, Texas and Maryland each reported a case among travelers from Nigeria. 
 
Where has monkeypox been reported currently?
Multiple clusters of monkeypox have been reported in nonendemic countries across Europe and North America, as well as Australia since early May.   
 
How is monkeypox transmitted? 

• Respiratory droplets;
• contact with bodily fluids or monkeypox lesions; and
• indirect contact with items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores, like clothing or bedding.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

• Acute rash (generalized or localized) that looks like monkeypox.
• Fever (either subjective or measured temperature >/= 100.4° F)
• Other signs and symptoms include 
  • chills and/or sweats, and
  • swollen lymph nodes.

What should you do?

• Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider, even if they don’t think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.  
  • People who may be at higher risk might include but are not limited to those who
    • had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox;
    • had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity; this includes men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application (“app”), or social event (e.g., a bar or party); and
    • traveled outside the U.S. to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox activity has been ongoing.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Temple University is continually assessing the situation in eastern Europe. Effectively immediately, Temple University will not approve travel to the following destinations.

• Belarus
• Russia
• Ukraine*

*Individuals looking to travel to Ukraine for university-affiliated purposes must seek an exception from the Elevated/High Risk Committee. Email [click-for-email] for more information.

Elevated/High-risk Destinations

Given the proximity to the conflict, the following countries are currently viewed as elevated/high risk. Should an individual wish to travel to one of the countries listed below, the university reserves the right to subject the travel to review by the Elevated/High Risk Committee before travel can take place.

• Moldova
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Hungary
• Romania
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Estonia

In our judgement, it is still safe to travel to the great majority of European countries, and we continue to plan for future programs in Europe. These are some of the resources we use to keep tabs on the situation.

• Advice provided by the U.S. Department of State, which regularly updates its travel advisories, including information on the availability of U.S. embassy assistance to travelers
• Advice and on-the-ground security updates provided in real time by Temple’s emergency assistance provider, International SOS, and Temple’s security intelligence provider, MAX Security
• Continuous monitoring of open-source media
• Advice provided by trusted on-site partners who develop international programs in partnership with us and who can speak to the realities they are currently facing in their countries
• Continuous benchmarking with other similar universities who are considering these same things

As always, the safety and well-being of Temple travelers is our top priority. International Risk Management will continue to monitor the situation, providing updates to travelers and the Temple community in an ongoing basis.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Since January 2020, Temple University has been closely monitoring the outbreak of the respiratory illness COVID-19 (coronavirus) throughout the world. As the pandemic evolves, so does Temple’s risk analysis of international travel. In addition to the guidance and recommendations from International SOS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of State, starting in the summer of 2021 Temple will incorporate additional metrics to assess risk as it relates to COVID-19, as well as review non-COVID risks per location. These metrics include, but are not limited to, case, vaccination and positivity rates, as well as containment and mitigation measures in each location. As a result, Temple will require all international travel to be approved prior to booking, starting with the fall 2021 semester, until further notice.

Additionally, in light of the city’s vaccination mandate for the university as well as the worsening conditions of the pandemic due to COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccine will be required for any university-affiliated international travel. 

Individuals with an approved religious or medical exemption will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Consideration will be given, but not limited to, circumstances on the ground in the destination country and current/anticipated travel conditions. The effective date of this requirement is Oct. 15.

The situation will be reassessed at periodic intervals with updates provided to the community, based on international, national, state and local guidance, to determine whether a revision or extension of the restrictions for students and for faculty and staff may be warranted. Given the uncertainty of the situation, faculty, staff and students should be prepared to postpone (or cancel) any programs or work that require travel and/or transition to an alternative, remote mode.

International travel guidance for the 2021–2022 academic year.

• For individual faculty/staff members and other university affiliates

• For individual professional, graduate or undergraduate student travelers

• For faculty or staff program leaders planning group travel

• Education Abroad programming

  • Temple Rome

  • Temple Japan

  • Other undergraduate study abroad programs

For domestic travel guidance, faculty and staff should reference the latest updates on the COVID-19 tab's Interim COVID Travel Guidance.

Updated June 10, 2022.

Department of State Advisories

International SOS Alerts

Center for Disease Control Travel Notices