Guidance on Traveling out of State – July 31

Dear FSU Community,

I’m writing in response to new stricter guidance issued by the Baker Administration on traveling outside of Massachusetts. As I’m sure you are aware, much of the country has seen large spikes in COVID19 cases over the past several weeks, which has increased the risk of travelers bringing the virus back into Massachusetts.

Starting this month, those who do travel outside of Massachusetts must complete a travel form and either produce a negative COVID19 test or complete a 14-day quarantine. Violation of this order can result in a fine of $500 per day. Further details of this new guidance can be found here.

In light of this new guidance, and with the start of the semester fast approaching, I am strongly advising all members of the FSU community to refrain from taking personal travel outside of the state, unless it is to one of the state’s exempted from the new order because its rate of infection is equal to or lower than Massachusetts. As of today, that list includes Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. (Please note that this list can/will change, so you should monitor it closely).

If you must travel to a state that is not on the exemption list, the sooner you can do it the better, as you will be required to quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID19 test taken within 72 hours of your return before you will be allowed to return to campus. The University will try to work with members of the community on testing options only for those who have special circumstances that require them to leave the state close to the start of the semester.  Please note:  Employees who anticipate that they will not be able to return to campus to perform their duties due to the quarantine requirement may need to use leave time in accordance with the collective bargaining agreements or non-unit handbook.  Staff with questions about this requirement should contact the Office of Human Resources at humanresources@framingham.edu and faculty should contact Katelyn Christopher in the Office of Academic Affairs at kchristopher@framingham.edu.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. 

Sincerely,

Javier