Durham, NC - Duke's International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) voted unanimously Friday to remove Mexico from the list of Restricted Regions, clearing the way for Duke undergraduates to travel there.

Following the lead of federal health officials and others, Duke placed Mexico on its Restricted Regions list in April, at the height of concerns about the H1N1 flu there. Undergraduates are prohibited from traveling to countries on the Restricted Regions list in university-sponsored programs. The policy also recommends against travel to countries on the list by Duke graduate students, faculty and staff using funding from Duke accounts.

The committee removed Mexico from the list after considering the latest information on the H1N1 influenza outbreak from federal agencies and other public health authorities. The committee concluded the H1N1 flu strain is less severe than previously feared; the number of new cases in Mexico is declining; and the number of new cases in the United States is rising.

After instituting the undergraduate travel ban, campus officials relocated Duke's Study Abroad in Mexico program to Durham, with a focus on the Hispanic community in the region. As a practical measure, they say it is now too late to relocate the program back to Mexico. Of the 19 students who signed up for the Mexico program, five have decided to participate in the Durham project, two have transferred to other Study Abroad programs and the rest are pursuing other summer plans.

The updated policy will allow this summer's DukeEngage in Tucson program to revive its original plans for students to make brief visits into Mexico to pursue service work.