HPU Students Face Travel Restrictions as Thanksgiving Approaches
HPU Students Face Travel Restrictions as Thanksgiving Approaches
Dani Schoeppner
Q News
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| Highway sign on I-83 |
"Don't be a turkey, wear a mask" is one of the highway signs Hannah Rugelis saw on her way home to Rochester, New York this last week. It's Thanksgiving break, and Rugelis is one of many High Point University students heading home for the holidays.
High Point University has been managing in-person classes for all of the fall semester. Out of the 4,591 students, 80% are from out of state and will be making travel arrangements home for the holidays.
At the same time, COVID-19 cases have been on a steady increase in the past weeks, with numbers rising to 136,313 active cases on Nov. 29. In response to this, states have initiated a second wave of lockdown procedures, many of which include travel restrictions and recommendations.
As many colleges and universities around the country wrap up the fall semester, students like Rugelis are faced with monitoring the circumstances in their home states to determine what they need to do before and after arriving home.
Does My State Require a COVID Rest?
As states continue to tighten their travel requirements, it is important for students to understand what to be prepared for upon arrival home for the holidays. The map below shows states that have travel restrictions in place.
Because the COVID-19 situation is changing everyday, it is important to stay up to date on the current travel restrictions and recommendations by state. As of now, the only states that require a COVID-19 test or self-isolation are as follows:
- Alaska
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington D.C.
Pennsylvania is one of the states on the list that requires travelers to have a negative COVID test upon arrival, or quarantine themselves for 14 days. "The government is trying to do the best they can to limit the spread of the virus," says Dr. Ed Nelson, a family physician in Pennsylvania.
Nelson says that the newest state restrictions are an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus during the upcoming holiday season. "There are still some people that are not going to abide by the recommendations," he says, "but the people who are will hopefully limit some of the spread."
Where Can I Get COVID Test?
A few are listed in the chart below.
While some clinics require appointments, others are available for walk-ins or drive through options. Some places also reserve tests for high-risk patients rather than the general public.
The State of COVID-19 in North Carolina
HPU students have been accustomed to the regulations set by Governor Roy Cooper, which have been strict mask wearing and social distancing implemented by the Phase 3 order. The governors website details the intensity of coronavirus by county, placing the university's county-- Guilford County-- in the red zone.
However, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, arenas, and meeting spaces remain open with stated capacity limits. As always, face coverings are always required in a public space.
With students returning home to stay through Thanksgiving until early January, they will have to adhere to the regulations of their home states.
Home State Situations for Students
Because many states have recently introduced testing or quarantine travel requirements, some students will return to home states where they face a 14-day isolation. For students returning to high-restriction areas, life looks a little different than it did at HPU.
Rugelis lives in New York, a state that has increased travel restrictions in the past few weeks. She has opted to self-isolate for 14 days rather than take a COVID test.
She thinks that the state is going to go into another shut down soon, so her family plans to visit their favorite restaurants in anticipation.
"Right now, I think it's just restricted hours, and obviously everyone wears a mask when they go in," she says. "Right now, it's not crazy, but I think it will be soon."
Another HPU student, Chris Apecechea, made his way across the country to his home town of San Mateo, California at the end of the semester. While California hasn't implemented travel restrictions, Apecechea says that the situation is much different there than at school.
His county, which includes San Francisco, moved into the purple tier of restrictions on Nov. 28. This is the highest level of restriction possible.
"There's a curfew of 10 p.m., everything shuts down again. So no gyms, no restaurants, no bars," says Apecechea in regards to his new normal while he's home for break.
Is There Hope for Students in 2021?
From Joe Biden being sworn in to office on Jan., 20, to a possibility of a vaccine, the beginning of 2021 holds some uncertainties. "That's the thing with next semester; so much is up in the air," Rugelis says in regard to returning to campus in January.
However, Rugelis has faith that students will be welcomed back to campus on schedule. "I think that they're going to try to stick to schedule and just be strict on campus so that way we are able to stay," says Rugelis.
An email sent out by High Point University says that "HPU remains committed to holding classes in person and on campus this spring, and classes will resume on Jan. 11." Students are expected to return to school at staggered times between Jan. 7-10.
HPU's email also says that they "will continually update any safety policies and protocols" via their website.
Related Sources
Hpu Health Hub: Thanksgiving 2020 Travel
CDC: State & Territorial Health Department Websites
http://www.highpoint.edu/studenthealth/health-hub/
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51665497
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