Update: July 14, 2021

Water Team Travel Guidance

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With the increased availability to COVID vaccines across the US, teams have begun planning or, in a few instances, already made face-to-face visits with their partners in other countries.

 

Before booking a flight to visit your partners, Living Waters for the World (LWW) strongly encourages you to consider weighing the risk of a face-to-face visit to your partners and network staff before traveling. Many countries have inconsistent access to COVID vaccines with elongated vaccination timelines for the general population and a continuing lack of access to adequate/complex health care, especially in rural areas.
 

We remind you that this is not only about how well you are protected. We are privileged in the US to have access to unparalleled medical care and the financial resources to obtain it. Many of our partners do not have physical access to advanced health care in their communities and a trip to the hospital can be financially devastating to them. 
 

Also, as new variants of the coronavirus emerge the efficacy of vaccines in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 or preventing a vaccinated person from contracting the virus is not guaranteed at this time. Some vaccines lessen the impact of the virus on infected people; some vaccines prevent infection, but do not prevent the inoculated person from being a carrier; some vaccines prevent both infection and transmission of the virus - unfortunately, we may not know which vaccine a person received.
 

Therefore, we strongly recommend that teams consider not traveling until 2022, and instead utilize the virtual capabilities of the networks for interacting with your Operating Partner. In 2020 and 2021, we have had successful virtual engagements that resulted in purified water flowing in new communities in El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and the Yucatan, rehabilitation of some systems as well as virtual in-country partner conferences.

 

In addition, many countries are experiencing social unrest that can make travel unsafe for teams. The unrest is rooted in political change in some areas and in dire economic circumstances in others and dangerous situations can arise with little to no warning.
 

If, however, you decide it is critical to meet with your partner in-person, LWW encourages you to keep the following in mind:
 

• Review any State Department travel advisories and check with your network moderator regarding conditions specific to the area in which you will be traveling.

• Is the benefit of a face-to-face meeting worth risking the health of your partner community or your team being stranded in a foreign country?

• Minimize the number of people going on the visit as many areas may have limited resources to host guests. Check ahead to see what lodging and food options are available in the area to which you are planning to travel. Some familiar places may have gone out of business during the pandemic.

• Often, your Operating Partner does not have 100% control over who shows up to a meeting, a health education session, an installation, or a follow-up visit. You may be vaccinated against COVID but how many of your partners or other members of their community are?  Your visit could inadvertently produce an environment conducive to the spread of the virus in a community.

• Many of our in-country staff and/or translators and drivers are not yet eligible for a vaccine or have received 1 dose. LWW has asked our in-country resources to not put themselves or their families at risk, so you may not be able to receive the same level of support as on pre-COVID visits.

• Many authorities require a negative COVID test result within 72 hours of entering their country. The United States currently requires a negative COVID test within 72 hours before boarding a return flight from many countries where LWW has systems (even if you have been vaccinated) – and specific tests may be required. Incorrect or missing tests may result in delays and/or quarantine enforcement.

• Many countries still have mandatory 14-day enforced quarantines when arriving in country if you do not meet their current COVID guidelines/restrictions.

 

Remember, before making travel reservations:

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• Please contact your Network Coordinating team to see if they have additional information related to conditions in your travel area: that travel to a community is safe, and most importantly, agreed to by your Operating Partner and their water committee (who are representatives of their community).

• Confirm the availability of network staff to accompany you (if desired).

• Consider purchasing trip insurance given the volatility of the environment in many countries. Be sure to verify under what conditions the insurance is binding. For example, some policies do not provide cancellation coverage if there is social or political unrest confined to a specific department/state.

 

Have questions or concerns about this guidance?  Please contact Jeff Wagner, LWW Director of Operations, at jeff@livingwatersfortheworld.org or at 615-261-4008, Ext 3.

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