University cancels staff travel
Friday, 4 April 2003
The University of Adelaide has cancelled staff travel to a number of countries because of warnings by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
DFAT and WHO have issued warnings against travel as a consequence of war, terrorist activity and the risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
"Being mindful of staff safety, where these warnings are of the type, 'defer non-essential travel', 'defer all travel' or 'do not travel', I am instructing that all international travel to these destinations previously approved but not yet taken is to be cancelled from today's date, and that planned future travel to these destinations will not be approved," says the University's Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Penny Boumelha.
The countries to which this instruction currently applies are:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Bahrain
- Burundi
- Canada (SARS)
- Central African Republic
- China (SARS)
- Colombia
- Haiti
- Hong Kong (SARS)
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
- Ivory Coast
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia and Montenegro
- Singapore (SARS)
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Syria
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Venezuela
- Vietnam (SARS)
- Yemen
DEFAT's current travel warning in relation to destinations affected by SARS outbreaks (China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore) states that Australians in transit at airports are at very low risk of exposure to SARS.
Therefore staff whose approved international travel takes them through the airports in these countries should exercise their own judgment as to whether they travel.
If staff decide to continue with their planned travel, they should exercise caution and not venture from the airport terminals whilst in transit.
Applications for approval for international travel will still be considered if the proposed itineraries include transit through these airports.
The status of the travel warnings will be monitored and further advice issued as appropriate.
Students are also advised not to travel to these countries for the time being.
