COVID-19 FAQs
UPDATED MARCH 17, 2020
Dear Premotes,
Earlier today, some of you may have seen communications to the Remote Year Nation regarding COVID-19. The last few weeks have been a very difficult time for the world with the continued spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent travel restrictions. We are all sending our thoughts to those who have been affected directly by these unfortunate and unprecedented events. Today, we want to follow up to make sure all of you understand what this means for all of you as you prepare for your upcoming programs.
As of now, we are still planning to operate our upcoming programs the same way we are still operating our programs currently on the ground. For programs launching in May (Kombit and Gaia), we will continue to support you as you prep for your journey and will plan to follow up with additional details about your program by April 1. For programs launching beyond May, we are evaluating all of our itineraries and will let you know if you should expect any adjustments by next week.
Given the current state of travel and immigration and the latest safety and security advisories, we have decided to make some additional changes to our policies to be more flexible if you do not wish to travel with the itinerary you had originally signed up for. We hope that these flexible policies will put your mind at ease:
- We will waive all transfer fees if you want to transfer to any other 2020 programs
- To officially request a transfer to another program or to Nation Entry, please email us at welcome@remoteyear.com by Wednesday, March 18th.
Because the situation continues to unfold each day, we will follow up with an update next week and open up more consultation sessions if you need to discuss your specific situation with someone on our team. In the meantime, if you have an urgent question, please email us at welcome@remoteyear.com. We recognize that the global climate means that some of you are being faced with tough decisions currently. Our goal is to make your decision-making process as easy as possible with these options and to keep you safe, secure and comfortable. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we adapt to the evolving situations in real time. We appreciate your trust and loyalty you’ve placed in us and look forward to you experiencing Remote Year with us.
COVID-19 FAQs
What is RY’s approach to health and safety information?
We have a partnership with International SOS, a global market leader in safety & security services. ISOS has been guiding Remote Year on anything related to safety for more than 4 years. We also use the US State Dept, WHO, and CDC as sources of information when making safety-related decisions.
The information provided to clients by ISOS through our membership and other services comes from many sources.
What is the health risk of COVID-19 I may incur on an active RY program?
At this time, ISOS hasn't determined it unsafe to travel to any Remote Year cities. ISOS as well as WHO are continuing to recommend general safety procedures such as washing hands regularly, avoiding obviously sick people, and avoiding any wet markets.
What happens if anyone in my group is suspected to be sick with COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?
In this case, we would follow the guidance of both ISOS and the local medical professionals at the hospital that they are referred to. We would like to reiterate that each individual case is unique and in any situation we would lead with the guidance of medical experts. Remote Year would do our best to assist with any necessary logistics during that time.
What will happen if the situation changes in any Remote Year city and it becomes unsafe before we go?
Our City Guides are a treasure trove of information! Take a peek and learn more about where you'll live and work each month, city hot spots recommended by Remotes and locals alike and the history that has shaped the city and country you'll be living in for a month.
If International SOS’s perspective were to change, we would ensure that your itinerary only includes locations that were deemed safe to travel to by International SOS. We are monitoring the situation daily and should anything change, we will let our programs know ASAP.
One recent example of Remote Year changing itineraries was when we moved the launch of our Bolivar program from Santiago, Chile to Medellín, Colombia due to political unrest in the city at the time. While still technically safe to travel to the country, the situation escalated only days before their arrival day and we made the decision to move the program to mitigate any potential situations. Fortunately, we were able to reroute them back to Chile a few months later when we felt more comfortable with the situation. We continue to have groups going to and loving Santiago, Chile each month.
What will happen if the situation changes in any Remote Year city and it becomes unsafe while we are there?
We will follow International SOS’s guidance on what is the safest option for you. If that option is getting you out of the city, that is what we will do.
What will happen if my group gets locked-in due to a city-wide quarantine while we are there?
After speaking with International SOS, it’s been said that such a lockdown has only taken place in extreme cases such as in Wuhan, China specifically and, even in those events, foreigners were still allowed to repatriate to their home country. While we cannot guarantee a quarantine would never happen, it remains a highly unlikely scenario.
For those that still may be wondering how to navigate such a situation, your country’s embassy or consulate is the primary source of help in these cases. As such, U.S. citizens are highly encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP). “Enrolling in STEP will help the U.S. embassy contact you and provide assistance during an emergency overseas. And, if your family or friends in the U.S. are having difficulty contacting you with urgent news while you’re traveling, we can use the information in STEP to try and reach you. When you enroll in STEP, you will receive current information about your destination country, including alerts from the U.S. Embassy about safety and security situations.” Citizens of other countries are advised to check their country’s embassy or consulate to see if they provide a similar service. Non-US Citizens can also get similar security updates and evacuation assistance from International SOS.
More importantly, we also have contingency plans in place to be ahead of any of those situations before they reach the point where such an evacuation effort from a city under lockdown is necessary. We are in constant contact with ISOS and while we don't expect any issues, we are always ready to take steps to prioritize your safety and experience.
How might a city’s response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) impact my travel experience?
Our current Remotes are still having great experiences on Remote Year all over the world. While travel days (once per month) may have heightened screenings, the day-to-day experience on program has been largely unaffected.
During your travels, you can expect more stringent health screening measures in all ports of entry, including airports and seaports. There may be random screenings, requests to fill out health declaration forms, or questions about where you have been traveling. Short-notice travel restrictions may be imposed along with flight cancellations, so people should be flexible with our itineraries and be vigilant with airline updates for any of their own personal travel. In many instances, it is not advised to travel if you have a fever and/or exhibiting flu-like symptoms. As a convenience to our customers, we are happy to work with any individual if they have these conditions on their upcoming Transition Day to make alternative arrangements to be sure they have a smooth travel experience and avoid any major scrutiny.
For on the ground experience, some cities we are in are taking their own variety of precautionary safety measures such as temporarily closing certain attractions or also having health screenings such as temperature checks in a range of places from public facilities to restaurants.
Who should I contact if I have more questions?
If there are any other questions you have that have not been listed, we encourage you to reach out to International ISOS or any of our onboarding team members at welcome@remoteyear.com. If you want to connect with one of our team members and schedule a call 1-1 to converse further about your program please select a time that best suits your schedule.
Please remember we are here to help you better prepare for your departure. We want to make sure your Remote Year journey begins positively and your experience is enriching and rewarding!