In many countries globally, we are seeing second waves and there may be more to follow. We are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel with the highly-promising emergence of vaccines but there may be insufficient supply, at least initially, of a single vaccine.
Travel managers will continue to have a duty of care to fully understand the risks inherent in the destination of their travelers and to fully educate and prepare them to mitigate the risks associated with Covid-19. Here are five ways that employers can support their travelers in the event of a spike in cases:
- Fully understand the travel destinations and their protocols for Covid-19.
- Anticipate an increase in cases, shut-downs of transportation, and lockdowns within cities.
- Have a thorough plan in place.
- Prepare travelers to stay much longer than they initially plan—make ample medications, housing, food, and supplies available for an extended stay.
- Instruct travelers that if they want to leave an area to do so as soon as possible, while flights remain available.
Organizations must have constant access to reliable information and a means to get this intelligence to travelers before, during, and even after the trip. They need to be nimble to respond to a rapidly changing environment and prepared to respond to significant changes if a situation arises including changes to health infrastructure, the introduction of lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and regulations regarding social distancing.
Have a plan, and expect the unexpected.
Listen to Dr. William Hauptman, M.D, Medical Director Assistance, and Andrew Miller, Director of Partnerships for the Americas Region, both from International SOS, share advice and guidance on why travel managers should reshape their policy to meet the evolving demands of a world challenged by COVID-19.