Montreal, 5 January 2022
Update on COVID-19 response measures taken by Katimavik in its day-to-day operations for all its programs (National Experience and FuturePerfect)
Katimavik is committed to the health and safety of all Participants and employees.
Katimavik strictly follows Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer’s regulations/guidelines, meets or exceeds all local, municipal, and federal health authority directives.
Safe travel and arrival
Before arrival:
- Prior to Participant arrival in the community, Project Leaders and Job Developers check all local health authority/government resources and set isolation terms and conditions (5, 10 or 14 days depending on local directives), determine if Participants who do not have out-of-province medical insurance are covered for testing/treatment, and determine if there are other local health/government authorities’ preventative and/or treatment plans in place.
- Katimavik staff members are to contact each Participant and provide all project-specific information and pandemic-related logistics to prepare for the arrival.
Travel to project locations:
To participate in Katimavik projects and to travel to and from Katimavik communities, all Participants should be fully vaccinated with acceptable vaccines and have a valid Canadian proof of vaccination.
Travel by train or by plane
Participants need to be fully vaccinated to travel to Project Houses, to board domestic flights departing from most airports in Canada, including charter and foreign airlines. Participants need to be fully vaccinated to board VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains.
In addition to the vaccination requirement, Participants shall adhere to all existing mandatory pre-boarding and health requirements for passengers, including health check questions, and wearing masks inside airports and rail terminals, and while on board planes and trains.
To board your flight or train, Participants must:
- be fully vaccinated with accepted vaccines
- be ready at any point in your journey to show your official proof of vaccination
- have received the second dose at least 14 full days prior to the day you travel
- have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19
- wear a mask.
Source: https://travel.gc.ca
Travel by car
Participants may get to the Project location by car. Vaccination requirement remains in place. When travelling by car and staying outside of the family bubble, Participants are expected to adhere to all existing health requirements and wear masks.
After arrival
Participants self-isolate themselves as a bubble for the term specified by local, municipal, and federal health authority directives.
Katimavik has mental health related supports in place for participants who currently have, or have exhibited, signs of anxiety or other concerns related to the self-isolation, pandemic changes, travel restrictions etc.
When group isolation period is over, Participants may start their volunteer activities/employment – virtually or in person, strictly adhering to all health directives in place.
House protective equipment
Katimavik has equipped all its Project Houses with the following items:
- Masks:
– Reusable tissue masks with multiple layers, including 2 layers of breathable tightly woven fabric (cotton) for each Participant, Job Developer and Project Leader;
– N-95 respirators approved by Health Canada for each Participant.
- Face shields
- Adequate supplies of soap and/or hand sanitizer to be always available. Hand sanitizer must state that it contains greater than 60% alcohol.
- A quarantine food supply for 10 days* (non-perishable or deep frozen). Groups may have groceries delivered to the house. *Or for the term stated by relevant local health authority directives.
- Washable and reusable gowns
- Disposable nitrile gloves
- Adequate supply of house cleaning chemicals, soap, laundry soap and detergents to frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in common and individual house areas.
Response to Symptoms or Exposure
In the event of a Participant presenting symptoms without knowing the probable cause, or in the event there is a confirmed exposure event, Participant and Project Leader/Job Developer follow local health authority guidelines.
If the individual is sick, or has been exposed, the group will be isolated until lifted by the local health authority, negative tests for those exposed/symptomatic.
All Project Houses are equipped with necessary self-isolation facilities.
Rotation plans
Our Pandemic Preparedness Committee is constantly monitoring and evaluating developments in the COVID-19 situation. The rotation between communities might have to be amended. If changes occur, the additional update will be issued.
Questions? For any questions, please contact us at info@katimavik.org
This update was provided by Katimavik Pandemic Preparedness Committee.
The Pandemic Preparedness Committee consists of the CEO, the Director, Finance & Administration, Senior Manager, Innovation and Programs, Participant Recruitment Officer, and Communications and Marketing Officer.
Montreal, 23 December 2021
Letter from the CEO
Dear participants,
Dear parents and guardians,
Dear Katimavik community,
As the participants plan to join us for the January 2022 cohort of our National Experience and Future Perfect programs, I wanted to take a moment to speak about the current COVID-19 situation.
The Katimavik team believes in the importance of clear and transparent communication. With this in mind, we want to assure you that we are committed first and foremost to participant safety and security.
January’s programs may look a little different than those that have come before. Our Pandemic Preparedness Committee is constantly monitoring and evaluating developments in the COVID-19 situation and we are paying special attention to the Omicron variant and it’s impacts.
The situation at present appears manageable with the precautions we have in place, however, as events unfold, there will be more changes and we will need your understanding and patience as we navigate a dynamic and changing situation.
For example, the volunteer and employment placements where participants work may have changes in their operations. If they are not able to accept participants, in person or virtually, alternate options will have to be considered.
For the National Experience program:
The rotation between communities might have to be amended if provinces introduce isolation requirements, this means that the participants might only visit one community during the program. We remain committed to offering our educational programming, but there will likely be changes depending on the ability to access people, resources, and opportunities in the community. If changes occur, you will be the first to know.
I also want to take a moment to reiterate the measures we have taken which have allowed us to successfully continue to offer the National Experience Program over the course of the pandemic. We have done this through creating and implementing isolation plans when there are COVID-19 symptoms or confirmed cases in the houses, as well as equipping the houses with personal protective equipment and providing participants with masks.
As an organization we strictly follow health regulations from federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
Additionally, for the January 2022 cohort and beyond, all Katimavik participants and staff members are to be fully-vaccinated, following the latest definitions by Health Canada. Should the definition change during the course of the program, we will take steps to assist participants in updating their vaccination status.
With all this said I want to welcome the participants to the Katimavik programs, and wish you a safe, rewarding and transformative journey.
Regards,
John-Frederick Cameron
CEO, Katimavik