Travelling during a global pandemic can quickly become a very overwhelming experience, especially if you are unsure of what safety procedures, protocols or emergency plans are in place at the destination you are travelling to.
At African Bush Camps, it has become increasingly important to us to make sure you are well informed about your trip and that you feel safe at our camps.
We can assure you that all our camps adhere to the regulations set out by the World Health Organisation with regards to COVID-19 protocols, and we have put other measures in place for emergencies, should they arise in-camp.
We’ll explain this in greater detail throughout this blog:
Since our guides and camp hosts are the first port of call should an emergency arise, they have been professionally trained to handle emergencies in-camp, and thereafter are equipped to make recommendations.
The medical emergency evacuation insurance provided by ABC will cover travellers who stay at our camps. If a guest needs to be evacuated, it is the guest’ obligation to make sure they have enough medical and travel insurance to cover in-hospital medical expenditures and fees after being admitted to the hospital. The responding medical team assigned by our insurer has sole discretion over whether to evacuate a guest. The guest will be liable for any travel and medical charges requested and/or arranged by the guest but not approved by our insurance.
In Zimbabwe especially, we have partnered with Ace Air & Ambulance emergency services. Ace operates in-camp, and they specialize in emergency evacuation, remote rescue, and recovery throughout Southern Africa.
Every six months, our in-camp staff go through extensive first-aid training coordinated by Ace. The training provided is aeromedical approved and accredited. You can rest assured knowing that our staff are equipped to handle any emergency that occurs on your safari.
Ace Air & Ambulance Emergency services are also stationed at our camps in Zimbabwe in case of a emergency evacuation. They provide both air and ambulance medical assistance and evacuations.
Each camp has been assigned a qualified health liaison officer who will oversee and enforce all COVID-19 protocols. All personnel and guests have their temperatures checked and recorded twice a day. Anyone with abnormally high temperatures will be urged to remain in their rooms until further instructions are given. Hazard detection and reporting are the most crucial stages in effective risk management.
In-camp testing is carried out in our Botswana camps; a nurse will fly in the morning and do PCR tests for everyone who needs to be tested. Guests will then be notified of their results the following day, when they check out.
When guests arrive at Thorntree River Lodge, we transport them towards the camp site where they may complete their PCR testing, with the results being provided to reception.
In cases when in-camp tests are not possible, we can include an overnight stay in Vic Falls or Maun in order to undergo PCR tests (*PCR test charge is not included).
