As part of our commitment to keeping our participants, staff and community members safe, we require that all participants must be tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to travelling to their GVI program. If this is not possible from your location please contact your enrollment manager in advance of any travel. We will also be screening new arrivals for any signs and symptoms of COVID-19, by conducting temperature checks and requiring all participants to present a medical certificate proving they have not tested positive for COVID-19.

GVI will also support you in reaching a COVID-19 testing centre 72 hours prior to departure to your home country, as part of securing a test in preparation for your return journey. This includes transport and accommodation (if needed) as well as all of the necessary logistics and costs associated with getting you to the nearest centre up to your program completion date with GVI. All of this is included in your COVID-19: Health and Hygiene fee so that you do not have any additional expenses apart from paying for the test itself.

• Each GVI location has a specifically appointed Head of Hygiene to monitor the situation, manage compliance to the policy, listen to concerns and answer questions.
• Participants are informed about support available if questions or concerns arise.
• Daily staff and daily team meetings are held to ensure the teams remain updated on any developments, areas of concern and solutions.
• As with all GVI protocols, failure to adhere to the GVI Health and Hygiene protocols might lead to disciplinary actions, including but not limited to, removal from the program.

• Before joining a GVI program, participants are provided with a list of guidelines to follow in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections. These guidelines include instructions for the wearing of personal protective clothing such as cloth face covers, coverings or masks, the maintaining of physical distance from other people and the implementation of hygiene and sanitation best practices.
• Training modules are delivered to all staff and participants upon arrival regarding required GVI health and hygiene protocols including physical distancing, base cleanliness, food hygiene, bathrooms, base zonation, transportation, project work, community interactions, signs and symptoms and initial and ongoing screening.
• GVI staff are trained and prepared to share protocols before and during the GVI program, answer questions, resolve challenges such as the detection of new cases and address situations where people are not complying to the new policy. 
• Short training modules are delivered to community partners and members clarifying rules and expectations around interactions during community based workshops. 
• Cleaning is performed by people who have undergone specific training.
• Where possible, GVI establishes relationships with communities and community-based organisations, restaurants, hotels, parks, transport partners and venues, that follow protocols similar to GVI health and hygiene guidelines.

• As per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, GVI issues and communicates a stay-at-home policy for anyone displaying any symptoms prior to arrival on a GVI program.
• If national regulations require incoming participants to quarantine prior to the start of their program, GVI has arranged local guesthouses to host participants during this time and will help to facilitate this process and fully support participants during this time.  Additional costs will need to be covered by participants.
• Entry screening for all incoming people is conducted for COVID-19 signs and symptoms of infection, including questionnaires and temperature checks. 
• Daily monitoring, recording and reporting of signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection illnesses.
• External visitors to GVI base locations are limited and via invitation only. Any visitors are screened prior to entry and be restricted to specific zoned areas.

• Throughout the GVI program, physical distancing of at least 1.5 meters between people is applied wherever possible. This exceeds the current World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Physical distancing of at least 1 meter between people is applied at all other times, such as transportation.  This is in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). 
• Restrictions are placed on the number of participants allowed per room, dependent upon size of rooms, to allow physical distancing rules to be applied. This may mean some rooms are closed and require that some activities are staggered.
• A one-at-a-time rule is applied for corridors to allow participants to apply physical distancing rules. 
• Additionally, private rooms with a private bathroom are available at most locations, at an additional cost, for those that prefer those facilities.

• Base locations are divided into three zones. Access to each zone is restricted. The specific zones are as follows:
  • 1 – Private: All sleeping and other private areas (for specifically named people only, as relevant)
  • 2 – Communal: All communal areas (for participants and staff only)
  • 3 – Visitors: Open to participants, staff and invited external guests only.
• Each zone, and surfaces within each zone, has different cleaning frequency requirements.

• There is a stock of resources on base for the prevention and reduction of the spread of infections.  These resources include cloth face covers, coverings or masks, hand sanitiser, soap, cleaning supplies and supplies for base sanitation and waste management.
• Additional hand sanitising stations are installed at strategic locations across bases, including all common areas and all private rooms, offering soap, sanitisers that contain at least 60 % alcohol, tissues and pedal-based waste baskets.
• Cleaning is conducted using products approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the local national authority.
• Partitions are available for use as desired and enforced where appropriate, such as between beds in sleeping areas. 
• All rooms have adequate ventilation.
• Where shared bathrooms are in use, allocated bathrooms for specific teams are marked as private areas .
• Sinks can be an infection source and toothbrushes and other toiletries are kept in private containers. Counter surfaces on sinks are kept clear.  Participants are expected to adhere to these rules.
• Additionally, private rooms with a private bathroom are available at most locations for those that would prefer those facilities, at an additional cost.

COVID-19 has made life a little more tricky in many ways. While we are thrilled to be hosting participants on base again, this comes with new challenges – and subsequent expenses. These expenses are incurred in an effort to keep our participants as safe as possible; our number one concern.

So here’s a further breakdown of what Health and Hygiene protocols where have put in place and why:

COVID-19: HEALTH AND HYGIENE PROCEDURES

Upon arriving at your program, we will ensure that you have access to items such as personal cloth face coverings, soap and hand sanitizer that can be used to ensure your safety and maintain the standards of cleanliness on base. These items are subject to availability and might differ slightly depending on your base location.

FACILITATING PRE-DEPARTURE TESTING

If needed and in preparation for your return journey, GVI will also support you in reaching a COVID-19 testing centre 72 hours prior to departure to your home country. This includes handling all the logistics involved, organising transport and accommodation (if needed) and covering all the costs of getting you to the testing centre. 

SAFETY PROTOCOLS

With over 20 years of experience, we are passionate and experienced in providing extensive support throughout each participants’ journey, ensuring the highest safety standards possible. This is why we have also put in place new standards of cleanliness and protocols that meet international safety recommendations. These include social distancing, pre-arrival and pre-departure COVID-19 testing and wearing masks on base.

• All participants and staff are required to use a cloth face cover, coverings or masks they are unable to maintain a minimum physical distance of 1.5m. 
• Access to a supply of personal protective clothing, such as cloth face covers, coverings or masks and gloves, is provided. The use of personal protective clothing is enforced where appropriate. There is also a supply that can be used as desired.
• Cloth face covers, coverings or masks are washed every day as a minimum. Participants are expected to adhere to this rule.

• The frequency of cleaning is increased. Higher frequencies apply to high-touch areas such as reception areas and areas of communal use such as food preparation, serving and eating areas, and high-touch surfaces in non-private areas, such as doorknobs, light switches, handrails, desks, kitchen surfaces, taps and toilets, which are cleaned at least three times per day.
• Charts listing the frequency of cleaning required for each area and when the areas were last cleaned are publicly and prominently displayed.
• General cleaning is performed by specific people who are specifically trained regarding specific techniques and the GVI health and hygiene standards.
• Cleaning of private areas is conducted by trained team members to reduce access to those areas.

• Bases are fitted with signage and floor markings throughout. This includes bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dining areas and all other communal areas to help both guide and facilitate adherence to the GVI health and hygiene protocols.
• Furniture is removed and moved around the base to help both guide and facilitate adherence to the recommendations.

• Waste management protocols are provided including the daily emptying of bins, the use of peddle bins and the use of bins liners for easy removal.

• All transportation for participants is private wherever possible, not public, to allow physical distancing and reduce the risk posed by gatherings and crowds at transport terminals.
• Numbers of people per vehicle are dependent on the size of the vehicle and ability to maintain a minimum physical distance of 1  meter during transportation.
• Cloth face covers, coverings or masks are worn during transport and hand sanitiser are applied after each journey.

• A detailed Emergency Action Plan (EPA) including information on actions to be taken should someone display symptoms of COVID-19 are provided at each location. The EPA includes all relevant contacts, information and numbers. 
• Any participant or staff member with signs or symptoms will be required to seek and follow medical advice, with support by GVI staff. If they are required to isolate, GVI staff will fully support in this process and ensure full support is offered during this period.
• Any room mates or close associates will be notified, and will also need to follow medical advice, which may include isolation. This process is fully supported by GVI staff. 
• Where possible, isolation facilities will be arranged off-site, at local guesthouses, at each location. This is facilitated and fully supported by GVI. Additional accommodation and food costs will need to be covered by participants. 
• The room, and any communal areas used by the participant, will be closed until a deep cleanse has been completed.

• Recommendations from international organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, governments  such as the US, UK and Australia, and local governments in the countries in which we operate are monitored daily and implemented.