Recommendations for Staying Healthy During the COVID-19 Outbreak

As Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is impacting our global community, we want to provide information and considerations for travel to community meetings, workshops and instructor training to support our community as you prepare during the COVID-19 outbreak.We are closely monitoring the ongoing and evolving global Coronavirus situation, and the potential impact for our community around the world.

Workshops, Instructor Training, and Community Meetings

There are more than 50 Carpentries workshops scheduled in the next three months and several instructor training events. The Workshop Administration Team, Regional Coordinators, and Instructor Training Team are encouraged to cancel events where instructors/trainers are unable to travel or participate. Additionally, if you have been banned from travel, you are encouraged to follow those regulations. If you have been selected to teach and need to withdraw please contact the host immediately and copy team@carpentries.org. We will work with the host to find a replacement (if needed) and ensure they follow up regarding any reimbursements needed.

The Carpentries has three forthcoming in-person meetings that are either community-organised or organised by our Core Team - CarpentryConnect DC in May 2020, the Executive Council Meeting, and CarpentryCon 2020 at the end of June 2020. The Carpentries Executive Team will work with the planning committees for these events to ensure a member of each committee is actively monitoring travel restrictions, and is prepared to provide updates on travel restrictions that may affect attendees.

CarpentryCon2020 is scheduled to take place June 29 - July 1, 2020 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA). The risk to the campus remains low, however we will continue to monitor the situation and will inform the community on April 1st whether we will hold CarpentryCon virtually this year.

All other work will proceed as usual, as our Core Team works together remotely and virtually. Regarding policies for canceling travel, community members are encouraged to consult with host institutions regarding their policy for reimbursing expenses for canceled travel should the situation arise.

Staying Healthy and Preparing for Travel and/or Containment

Community members are encouraged to follow standard guidelines around staying healthy and preparing for potential travel restrictions and containment as follows:

• Wash your hands frequently
• Maintain social distancing
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth
• Practice respiratory hygiene
• If you have fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
• Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider, including local containment recommendations

Remember: If local containment restrictions impact your ability to participate in workshops, instructor training, or other community events, or you are uncomfortable with planned travel, please contact your local workshop or training organiser as soon as possible, or email us. Please do not feel obligated to attend a workshop or other in-person Carpentries community events.

Staying healthy and helping to mitigate community impact is our priority.

The Carpentries Core Team