At a time when safety and security are top of mind for travelers, many are researching what the best option is to ensure they are covered should an emergency happen while on the road or abroad. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused preventative measures such as international flight and port closures to be put into place by local governments in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. Due to these restrictions in place, an American family with a positive COVID-19 traveler faced difficulties returning home. Facing multiple international border crossings in order to make their way home to the United States, there was not much optimism that they could get home any time soon.

While many businesses are beginning to bring employees back into the office in a phased approach, the COVID-19 pandemic remains a very active threat. To ensure the proper health and safety employee protocols are implemented, the CDC, WHO and OSHA have all released guidance on how to navigate reopening workplaces. These guidelines focus on a variety of topics, including the importance of social distancing, hygiene protocols, identification and isolation of sick patients, employee trainings, workplace controls, and more.

As lockdown restrictions ease, businesses are slowly starting to return to travel. However, with that comes risks and questions that companies must be prepared to address.

“When greenlighting travel, companies will need to do their homework and assume the potential expense of self-quarantines or rerouted itineraries to get employees home safely. With state and nationwide restrictions changing from week to week, that can add up,” says Mike McGarrity, Vice President for Global Risk Services, in Bloomberg’s recent article “The New Rules of Travel for Road Warriors.”

Planning your “new” summer vacation? “Be brave, but...don't be foolish” says Michael McGarrity, Vice President of Global Risk Services in USA Today’s recent article, "The new reality of vacationing: Don’t be afraid but don’t be overconfident, either." 

An April poll from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) found that 98 percent of its member companies had canceled international business trips, and 92 percent axed all or most domestic travel. But in a May follow-up poll, more than half the respondents said they plan to resume travel in the near future.

Over the course of a week, the Global Guardian Asset Security team performed five apprehensions for one client at various construction and facility sites.

Featured in Washington Post's article "What to do when disaster strikes on vacation", Global Guardian's Mike McGarrity provides insight into how to be prepared when it comes to traveling during a pandemic. To read the full article, click here.

Check out Volume 37 of the Business Travel News, which covers the latest COVID-19 travel related updates.

As we navigate what the new normal looks like, Global Guardian continues to provide support when it comes to COVID-19, including regular intelligence reporting, employee trainings, protocols on returning to work safely, how we need to think about the future of travel, and more.