Global Brigades has developed stringent criteria which need to be met prior to the resumption of brigade operations in a particular country. These criteria were developed by a committee made up of Global Brigades’ leadership team and in-country executive directors and operations staff, using a variety of resources including travel guidelines from the State Department and local US consulates as well as  in-country business reopening guidelines and guidelines imposed by local governmental bodies. These criteria include but are not limited to:

• Lifting of entry restrictions for international travelers.
• Lifting of any mandatory quarantine requirements upon arrival for international travelers.
• Resumption of normal daily international flights from major carriers.
• Local lockdown measures and restrictions on movement have been lifted.
• COVID testing is widely available.
• Local hospital and ICU capacities.
• Normal tourist activities have resumed locally.
• Vaccines are widely available for participating volunteers, to comply with vaccination requirement for participation.

Global Brigades is taking a number of precautions to mitigate the risks of COVID transmission on brigade programs, including but not limited to the following:

• Requiring all volunteers to be fully vaccinated and provide a negative COVID test within 72 hours (or less, in some cases) prior to their arrival in-country.
• Operating all in-country programs at very limited capacity and observing these capacity limits for all transportation and lodging.
• COVID testing and health screening of all brigade staff prior to the brigade.
• All brigades must arrive on Sundays and depart on Saturdays to limit overlap between volunteer groups, and allow for sanitizing of facilities and vehicles between groups, with very few exceptions.
• Imposing mandatory mask/face covering requirements for all brigade participants, staff and community members.
• Observing social distancing measures at all brigade sites, including lodging facilities and community sites.
• All participants must take a COVID test prior to their departure and provide proof of a negative test to their airline and to Global Brigades before traveling.
• Daily health screening.
• Daily temperature checks.
• Staggered meal service to limit capacity.
• Daily sanitizing of all vehicles and lodging facilities.
• Enhanced precautions on brigade days: health screening of community members, sanitizing of community sites, social distancing guidelines, and mandatory use of PPE.

Yes, all participants will need to obtain proof of a negative COVID test prior to departure for your brigade, no exceptions. Specific testing requirements and time frames vary based on the destination.  Please refer to the appropriate Embassy’s website below for the most up to date information:

• US Embassy in Ghana 
• US Embassy in Greece
• US Embassy in Guatemala
• US Embassy in Honduras
• US Embassy in Nicaragua
• US Embassy in Panama

No, provided you have obtained proof of a negative COVID test which has been administered within 72 hours (or less, in some cases) prior to your departure, present proof of vaccination, and you do not present with any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 upon arrival.

In the event that you arrive at the airport with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and within the last 14 days have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or traveled to a country with confirmed cases, you may be isolated in a medical center or at a designated hotel for monitoring by the Ministry of Health for up to 14 days. This is dictated by the local Ministry of Health.

For Canadian Volunteers: Per the requirements established by the Government of Canada, all individuals returning to Canada are required to self-quarantine for up to 14 days upon re-entry. 

Yes. Based on the advice of several physicians we have consulted, Global Brigades is asking that all volunteers who wish to participate in an in-person brigade are fully up to date on their COVID vaccinations.  This means receiving their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, at least 2 weeks prior to traveling on the brigade.  Volunteers who have received their full vaccination more than 6 months before their brigade are required to receive a booster shot before traveling.

Please visit CDC Vaccines for COVID-19 and VaccineFinder for more information on the vaccine and where to get it. Non-US volunteers should check with their local healthcare providers.

In the event that a volunteer cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to their chapter’s in-person brigade, volunteers are encouraged to participate in a TeleBrigade.

In the event that a volunteer presents symptoms of COVID-19 while on the brigade, they will be separated and quarantined at the lodging facility and monitored by a local staff health care professional, while a COVID test can be arranged for. Upon consultation by a local physician if the symptoms are mild, the volunteer will remain quarantined and under observation at their lodging facility. If the symptoms are serious and the volunteer is at higher risk of complication due to pre-existing conditions, they will be transported to a medical facility in the capital city as recommended by their treating physician. The duration of quarantine will last between 10-14 days depending on local regulations and the recommendations of our medical team.

All volunteer participants are automatically covered under emergency medical travel insurance for the duration of their program as well as COVID-19 specific trip interruption insurance, and have the option to upgrade the emergency medical travel insurance policy limits for an additional fee. The emergency medical travel insurance policy covers medical expenses for emergency medical treatment related to a diagnosis of COVID-19, and the COVID-19 trip interruption insurance covers certain costs associated with mandatory quarantine in the case that a volunteer tests positive for COVID-19 in-country. Visit this page for more information on the emergency medical travel insurance that GB volunteers are automatically enrolled in, and for information on increasing coverage.

Additional details about the COVID-19 trip interruption insurance as well as answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the following FAQ: IVPA Insurance Document.

Volunteers wishing to secure additional travel insurance coverage through 3rd party providers can find available options on Square Mouth.

All community members at the brigade site will be pre-screened for COVID-19. Any individuals which present symptoms or have had recent contact with individuals who have tested positive will not be able to enter the brigade site.  Participating community members will be required to practice social distancing and wear masks while interacting with staff and volunteers.

Yes, Global Brigades will have PPE (masks and gloves) available for volunteer participants as well as community members. However to ensure these resources are plentiful we would also encourage all volunteers to bring their own supplies of PPE, particularly masks and face shields.

Yes, on December 2, 2021, the CDC announced an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested one day before their flight departs and to present the negative result,  or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight.

Global Brigades’ local teams will facilitate all testing for volunteers the day before their departure.

For more detailed information, please visit the CDC’s webpage detailing this requirement. 

In the case that Global Brigades determines that certain criteria have not been met in order to safely operate brigade programs, your Program Associate will work closely with you to provide options on rescheduling your brigade, either to an in-person brigade at a later date or switching to a virtual brigade program (TeleBrigade). In the event that your chapter was previously issued flight tickets, your Travel Team Member will work with you to request a flight credit or flight voucher from the airline, which can be applied towards purchasing a flight for a future brigade. Flight credits and vouchers are subject to policies and regulations as established by the airline.

Yes. At this time, Global Brigades is asking all chapters to contribute to a group donation goal that will cover the costs of the COVID-19 trip interruption insurance, mandatory COVID-19 testing that will be required prior to your departure home at the end of your brigade, and PPE for volunteers, staff, and community members.  Your Program Associate will add the group donation amount to your chapter’s MyBrigades page.

Additional details about the COVID-19 trip interruption insurance as well as answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the following FAQ: IVPA Insurance Document.

In the event a volunteer tests positive for COVID during their program, causing a delay in returning to their home country, Global Brigades’ in-country teams will provide full support (arrange lodging, transportation, meals) for the duration of the delay (or isolation period) until the volunteer is cleared to safely return home. 

If a volunteer is asymptomatic and tests positive for COVID within the 3-day period before they are set to return home, Global Brigades’ local staff physician will assess the volunteer to determine if they have any underlying COVID symptoms. If they are deemed healthy, an additional PCR test will be administered to confirm the positive result.  While waiting for secondary test results, the volunteer will be kept isolated at the Global Brigades facility, while being continuously cared for by staff.  If the assigned physician determines that the initial test was a false positive, and the volunteer is medically cleared to fly, Global Brigades will work with the airline to arrange for a return flight home.  

In the event that a volunteer tests positive with a mild or asymptomatic case of COVID, as assessed by Global Brigades’ local staff physician, they will need to quarantine for a period of 10-14 days, as mandated by the local Ministry of Health. During the mandatory quarantine, the volunteer will be housed in a hotel room arranged for by Global Brigades, and regularly monitored by a local physician.  Global Brigades’ in-country staff will ensure that the volunteer’s needs are taken care of, including arranging all meals, transportation, and communication with emergency contacts. While the volunteer will need to remain isolated in quarantine, they will continue to be supported by local staff members and monitored on a daily basis by a local physician. At the conclusion of the mandatory quarantine period, the volunteer will be re-tested and undergo a health assessment. If the test is negative and the volunteer is cleared to return home, Global Brigades will arrange for the return flight and provide ground transportation. In the event the volunteer continues to test positive, Global Brigades will continue to provide support as outlined above until such time as the volunteer is cleared to return home.

In the event that a volunteer develops a severe case of COVID requiring hospitalization and critical medical care, Global Brigades’ local staff physicians will work to ensure that the volunteer receives the highest level of care available to them in-country.  If necessary, Global Brigades will work with our emergency travel insurance provider, Core Travel, to arrange a medical evacuation to the volunteers’ home country.  

In all cases, Global Brigades will work to ensure that any quarantined volunteer is properly cared for, and arrange for them to return home as soon it is safe to do so.  Please keep in mind that each country’s Ministry of Health has its own protocols and policies regarding mandatory quarantine, which Global Brigades is required to adhere to.

**Please be aware that any and all expenses incurred due to a delayed return or quarantine period, including but not limited to hotel, meals, and transportation which are not covered by the COVID-19 trip interruption insurance policy or the volunteer’s emergency medical insurance coverage will be the sole responsibility of the volunteer.

Additional details about the COVID-19 trip interruption insurance as well as answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the following FAQ: IVPA Insurance Document.

Global Brigades requires all brigade volunteers to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations in order to participate on a brigade.  We follow the CDC’s recommended booster timetable, and urge all brigade participants to receive their booster shot once eligible.