Travel to a Red List Country
We want to reassure people that whilst the UK has added Kenya to a red list we closely monitor the covid situation and have effective covid safety policies in place. Whilst covid is a risk in any country it’s not hampering our ability to safely run the program and not affecting any activity.
On average in the past week they recorded 5 cases per 100,000 population and covid cases have mainly been going decreasing since March.
Kenya has a good medical system and there is no risk of lack of beds in hospitals especially in the numerous private hospitals which would be the hospitals that Leapers use through their travel insurance.
The Kenyan government welcomes UK travellers who comply with their entry requirements and they are made very welcome in our project locations by the communities who are so pleased with the help that Leapers are providing, not just to the projects we support but also to the local economy.
To minimise risk, we provide comprehensive covid safety protocols (risk management), pre departure outlined in the placement guidelines, in our briefings and on the website and during the program we carry out induction briefings, provide safety instructions: hygiene/washing etc to comply with any local laws (social distance, curfews etc).
Our camp location was given permission by the Kenyan government to act as a quarantine/self isolation location due to our high covid safety protocols.
Much of the program takes place outside in well ventilated spaces in a warm climate, all of which significantly reduce the transmission of covid.
Not wishing to downplay the risk of covid but the risk of serious injury or death from covid to people aged between 15-22 is very small. In the UK it has been quoted that that age group are at more risk from a traffic accident or lighting strike than from covid.
In the six months we have been successfully sent volunteers to Kenya we have not had one Leaper fall ill with coivid.
Each family has to decide what their appetite for risk is and travel on that basis.
Our approach has always made clear that we specialize in sending a team of like minded individuals, travelling, living and doing project work together – many of whom travel together afterwards having made friends for life. We insist that anyone joining the team has proof of a negative PCR test prior to starting to protect our staff, local people and the other volunteers. We also insist they arrive together as a team and are transported and accommodated in a ‘bubble’.
To safely and responsibly avoid UK hotel quarantine, we add on 11 nights in an amber country on the way home.
Flying to another country for 11 nights is also safe as its based on complying with that countries entry requirement (such as a negative PCR test) before you can enter.
Before the return to UK Leapers need to comply with the UK rules for re-entry which includes a negative PCR test prior to return plus a period of self isolation at home and further PCR test (day 2 and 8) depending on the colour of country you return from, all of which maintain the safety of the UK public.
Our approach has been really popular with our Leapers and parents, not least as we are almost the only company we know of that have managed to get young people away with a letter from an MP and confirmation from the House of Lords that our programs are permissible in lockdown. From feedback we know this has been of huge benefit both mentally and physically to young people who have been in lockdown for nearly 10 months. It has also hugely helped our projects overseas who were on their knees with no support for nearly a year.
