ITOC restricts travel to parts of Japan

The International Travel Oversight Committee voted March 13 to restrict travel to portions of Japan following Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.

The decision applies to the northern portions of Honshu—the main island of Japan—as well as the Tohoku region—which includes Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata, all prefectures. The committee will monitor developments in Japan on an ongoing basis, a Duke news release noted.

Undergraduates who wish to travel to those areas of Japan on a Duke-sponsored or funded trip must receive a waiver from the committee. Professional and graduate students are required to register their travel with the University and submit a high-risk travel waiver and release form.

The University’s restricted regions list is based on ITOC’s recommendations to the provost and is updated as international conditions warrant, the committee’s website notes.

Two other countries were added to the restricted regions list in the past six weeks following turmoil in northern Africa. Travel to Egypt was restricted Feb. 1—though the University has since lifted the ban. The decision to restrict travel to Libya, which was made Feb. 22, still applies.

Prior to the decision to ban travel to Egypt, the ITOC had not restricted travel to an international destination since adding Bangkok, Thailand to the list May 17, 2010.