SDGs SUSTAINABILITY VISIT WILDCHINA
SDGs SUSTAINABILITY VISIT WILDCHINA
CONTACT US

Health & Safety

Latest updates from WildChina Education
August 2021

Our Standards

Even before Covid-19, Health and Safety has always been a top priority for WildChina Education.

With over 20 years of experience, we know how to prepare for the worst which is why we always:

  • Attend a pre-trip recce for health and safety inspection and risk assessment
  • Obtain General Liability Insurance for all attendees
  • Locate the nearest hospitals to the program site(s)
  • Arrange an emergency vehicle
  • Carry first aid kits 24/7
  • Ensure staff are appropriately trained for each activity
  • Red Cross First-aid Training
  • Child Safeguarding Training
  • Crisis-management Training
  • Criminal Background Check

Basic Requirements for all WildChina Education Team Members

Safety Procedures

The safety and comfort of our guests, guides, and drivers is always our number one priority.

We’ve spent the last few months reviewing our safety protocols and have implemented a number of new procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all members of a WildChina journey.

WildChina guides, drivers, and staff

  • Additional training
    Our team practices social distancing outside of working hours and every staff member has received additional training on identifying risk factors and symptoms linked to COVID-19. Your guide will adjust your itinerary to avoid anywhere that is crowded and if you feel unwell, they will quickly escort you to the nearest hospital.
  • China’s green Health Code
    Prior to every journey, we will ensure that any WildChina team members you’ll meet along the way holds a green health code from the Chinese government. This code is official notice that a person has not been to an area of high COVID-19 risk in the past 14 days and is not showing any symptoms of the virus. In addtion to this, we will hold a briefing with each guide and ensure they have been fever-free for 4 weeks prior to the travel date.
  • Face masks and hand sanitizer
    Even with a green health code, all of our staff will wear a face mask for the duration of your journey – even if they are not in an area or province that requires it. This is for your safety and theirs. They will carry hand sanitizer that is at least 65% alcohol proof and regularly wash their hands using soap and water.

Hotels and Restaurants

  • Operational requirements
    In order to resume operations, hotels and restaurants in China are required to meet government requirements for COVID-19 health and safety. This includes checking the temperature of guests, restricting access to facilities such as the gym or swimming pool, and often asking to see a guest’s green health code upon check-in. We’ll inform you of the specific regulations for each hotel you’ll be staying in.
  • WildChina audits
    Beyond the government requirements, we will also personally audit boutique hotels that you’ll be visiting to ensure our standards are met and that we, and you, know exactly what to expect.

WildChina Guests

  • Face masks and the green Health Code
    Different sites and regions of China currently have different health and safety requirements. Some areas require that you wear a face mask outside at all times and some don’t. We will let you know in advance what the restrictions are for where you’re going. We encourage all of our guests to wear a face mask whenever possible and we will have face masks and hand sanitizer available for you. We’ll also add additional bathroom stops into your itinerary so that you can regularly wash your hands.
    A province or city-specific green health code is currently required for domestic travel. Your travel designer will talk you through the details of this process. Please note that certain sites are also requiring clear COVID-19 test results in order for you to enter. We’ll also let you know if you’re planning to visit anywhere where this is a requirement.
  • If you feel unwell, let us know
    If you feel unwell at any point of your journey, please let us know. We’ll quickly escort you to a local hospital so that you can receive the appropriate care and treatment.
  • Flexibility and patience
    Things might need to change quickly on-trip and certain things will take more time. We’ll arrange for you to arrive at an airport earlier than normal for any additional health checks required and, if the COVID-19 risk level of a destination or site on your itinerary is changed to high, we’ll work with you to immediately adjust your itinerary.

COVID-19 Updates

As a group of educators and travel providers, we consistently do everything within our power to safeguard the physical and psychological safety of students while delivering hands-on learning experiences.

When the COVID-19 outbreak started in China a few months ago, none of us were prepared for it to turn into a global pandemic. While the world faces the trials of COVID-19, one thing we must remember is that there is always an opportunity for growth and change in any challenge. Indeed, the WHO’s guidelines to schools and educational institutions during this time asks us to look to educating ourselves and our youth through this current pandemic:  

 

“

Today, children and young people are global citizens, powerful agents of change and the next generation of caregivers, scientists, and doctors. Any crisis presents the opportunity to help them learn, cultivate compassion and increase resilience while building a safer and more caring community. Having information and facts about COVID-19 will help diminish students’ fears and anxieties around the disease and support their ability to cope with any secondary impacts in their lives.

World Health Organization, Key Messages for Schools  

New Measures Post COVID-19

As of Present

China's Green Health Code

Prior to every journey, we ensure all WildChina team members you’ll meet along the way holds a green health code from the Chinese government. This code is official notice that a person has not been to an area of high COVID-19 risk in the past 14 days and is not showing any symptoms of the virus. In addition to this, we will hold internal briefings to ensure they have been fever-free for 4 weeks prior to the travel date.

Face Makes and Hand Sanitizer

Even with a green health code,  our staff will wear a face mask for the duration of your journey – even if they are not in an area or province that requires it. This is for your safety and theirs. They will carry hand sanitizer that is at least 65% alcohol proof and also regularly wash their hands using soap and water.

Fever Response Protocols

● If a temperature reading for any person on the program shows as over 37.3 on two separate readings they will be taken to an isolation room
● Once in the isolation tent, those with an ear canal temperature reading below 37.8 may continue with the program. If the ear canal temperature is 37.8 degrees or higher, a mercury-in-glass thermometer will be used to measure temperature under arm.  If this measure is under 37.3 degrees twice in 10 mins, student may return to the program.
● Any person with a mercury-in-glass temperature reading 37.3 degrees or higher, but not exhibiting other COVID-19 symptoms shall remain in the Isolation Tent for monitoring, including an additional check after 30 minutes.
● If a third mercury-in-glass thermometer check after one hour in the isolation room still indicates a temperature of 37.3 or higher, they will be issued an N95 mask and held under observation until such time that their parents can be contacted (for students).
● Students who were in the same accommodation/group with the affected classmate, will be segregated by remaining in place or brought into an isolation room for further temperature checks and their accommodations will be completely disinfected. Other locations that the affected student is known to have been will also be disinfected.
● Those students will remain in isolation for the rest of the day, with hourly monitoring, until a medical clearance is issued for the initial student of concern.

Our H&S Standard Operating Procedures, including safeguarding against the spread of COVID-19, are as follows:

● Comply with all local government recommendations and requirements for any program that we operate
● Complete full risk assessments prior-to, during, and after a program
● All staff and crisis management teams undergo training in Covid-19 awareness and management
● Ensure that our programs take place within a reasonable distance from medical facilities and maintain our emergency response protocols
● Continue to ensure that all of our staff has up-to-date first-aid training and that digital thermometers are carried in every first aid kit
● On-program staff have had health checks before the trip and are fever-free prior to the start of the program
● All accommodations and transportation undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection and are well ventilated prior to use
● Ensure that running water and soap is accessible during programs
● Continue to provide meals and snacks on-trip that are hygienic, safe, and cooked thoroughly
● Continue to provide masks and disposable gloves for students/staff on our programs as needed
● Avoid crowded areas which are enclosed and poorly ventilated
● Offer pre-trip health and hygiene guidance sessions to schools, either in person or online
● Brief students not to touch any wildlife or domestic animals
● Brief students not to touch their face prior to washing their hands
● Reinforce hand washing procedures (at least 20 seconds with soap) with students throughout a program
● Provide hand sanitizer for students as needed
● Emphasize that an adequate amount of tissues should be carried by students in case they need to sneeze, cough, or blow their nose. Our staff will always carry extra tissues to provide to students as needed.

Recommended Reading

Travel within China

We’re not the only ones talking about China getting back to normal – check out these resources for more stories from around the Middle Kingdom.

General Resources

Contact Us

If you are considering traveling to China in the near future or have a booking with us and would like more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

For general inquiries regarding upcoming programs, please email our team at education@wildchina.com.

Proceed Booking