What is Therapy Abroad’s Policy with Regard to Covid-19?
Therapy Abroad has developed a comprehensive risk management plan for each of the countries we work in. Over the past few years, we have run programs safely with very few incidents by following these safety guidelines and with cooperation from our local partners and students. These plans are available upon request. As part of our strategy, we have implemented
- Access to masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies according to country and location specific standards.
- Access to COVID testing
- Medical and accident insurance that covers COVID-related illness
- Cultural activities and reflection that emphasize safe, local exploration geared to the specific context of being abroad
We recognize that although COVID is no longer a global health emergency, there still might be times when outbreaks occur and that this might affect programs. If this does happen and students choose to defer to a future program, we would be happy to move that student’s application to a program with a later start date.
Is Therapy Abroad Requiring Covid-19 Vaccines?
No, beginning January 2023, Therapy Abroad highly recommends the COVID-19 vaccine and all other vaccines recommended by the CDC and local healthcare providers, however, students and staff are not required to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The WHO and US CDC agree that the vaccine helps reduce the risk of serious illness and helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. 99%
At Therapy Abroad, we also believe that we are all part of a global community and that we have some shared responsibilities as part of that community. Our programs are all about people –working with people, helping people, sharing ideas with people, and learning from people. Vaccines will help us continue our work by
- Reducing the health risk of:
- Spreading COVID-19 and its variants to other parts of the world, including Therapy Abroad staff, international partners and the communities where we have programs.
- Contracting COVID-19 while abroad, which could lead to serious illness and death, missed classes and excursions, mandatory quarantine or isolation.
What happens if I test positive before I return to the USA?
The CDC no longer requires all passengers traveling to or returning to the United States to test negative for Covid-19. In the unlikely event that a student is ill and does test positive, and decides to self quarantine, Therapy Abroad has pre-arranged accommodations and negotiated pricing that includes the length of accommodation with three meals, private airport transfers, groceries, toiletries, incidentals, daily home health and counseling support, and 24/7 in-person staff support. We would not leave any student behind without one of our staff or local guides to stay behind with them. Our number one goal is always the safety of our participants and no one will ever be left on their own.