COVID-19 FAQ & Policy
Latest update on Coronavirus and your over night retreat;
In 2020 in line with the UK Government travel restrictions and advice on indoor gatherings in the UK, we unfortunately had to cancel and postpone many of our 2020 retreats.
We continue to pro-actively review this, based on the latest travel advice from the UK Foreign Office.
We are extremely grateful for your patience and understanding as we manage the current situation. We have been blown away by the support of our customers and team as we try to navigate this uncertain time. THANK YOU. Whether you have already booked a retreat or are planning one in the future, our frequently asked questions below aim to help you understand how we are looking after our retreat guests and what happens if we have to postpone or cancel a retreat.
I have a retreat booked with you. How and when will I know if it is going ahead?
If you booked a retreat with us prior to April 1st 2020, you will have received a personal email from Eirian Collinge, the owner of Cariad Yoga. The email sets out our timelines and process for decision making about whether your retreat will go ahead or not. Rest assured that going forwards, and for any bookings from this date onwards, we will confirm, postpone or cancel a retreat 8 weeks before the start date. We would not recommend booking any travel at this stage, until we reach the point we are sure the retreat can go ahead.
For customers that are booked onto a 2021 retreat.
What happens if I can’t make it due to travel restrictions, or government advice?
If we are unable to run a 2021 retreat, we will contact you directly and let you know your options, but as it stands all 2021 retreats are going ahead. We will contact you 3 months prior to the start date of the retreat to update you on the latest developments, and as stated above, please do not book any foreign travel without consulting us first. If we have to completely cancel a retreat, we will refund all the money you have paid so far directly back to you.
Am I entitled to a refund if I do not wish to rebook onto another retreat?
For any bookings made after the 1st April 2020, we are prepared for the future, and will be making sure we are covered in the event we have to cancel a retreat. All monies paid will be held by us, and should we need to cancel a retreat, we will refund you 100% of any money paid to us, up to 3 months prior to the retreat. If we have given the go ahead for a retreat 3 months prior, there are no travel restrictions, and the government are advising it is safe to travel, our usual booking policy will stand, and all monies paid will be non-refundable. See below for more information.
*note that if you used credit to cover payment, you will be refunded in the same way you paid, credit will be returned as credit, payments in cash will be returned in cash.
Applicable to all retreats
These are difficult times for everyone. Our priority is to make sure that we look after everyone who has booked a retreat with us, while also keeping our business going. We are a small business with deposits invested in several retreats. If we are unable to run a retreat this year, most of our local partners have agreed to carry our deposits over to 2022, but they aren’t in a position to refund us which is totally understandable. Therefore we are aiming to postpone rather than cancel retreats and we would ask you to be as flexible as you can and either transfer your booking or accept a voucher.
There are no travel restrictions in place, but I no longer want to travel, can I cancel my retreat?
We will only run a retreat if it is safe to do so and we make our decisions based on Government advice, only giving the go ahead 3 months prior. If we postpone or cancel a retreat the above process applies. If a retreat is going ahead but you decide to cancel our normal cancellation policy applies (see T&Cs here), whereby you will lose your deposit and may be liable for your balance payment. We can also put your place back on sale, and if it does sell, we are happy to refund you in full. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you want to discuss anything further.
Cariad Yoga Coronavirus Policy
OVERVIEW
Cariad Yoga is committed to safeguarding the welfare of our staff and members of the public.
There are two main elements to our policy:-
• Prevention through awareness
• Procedures for identifying and reporting cases or suspected cases.
The aim of the policy is to promote good practice, providing appropriate safety/protection whilst in the care of Cariad Yoga.
Prevention We recognise that the “retreat industry” can be a very intimate environment and we expect that all staff, attendees and anyone else who comes into contact with anyone in our care behave in the most appropriate and effective way possible to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Cariad Yoga will therefore:-
• Act with due care and attention.
• Build Coronavirus measures into all risk assessments and working considerations.
• PCR Test staff prior to retreat date and ask attendees to do the same
• On Site Rapid Testing will also happen for all attendees of the retreat upon arrival along with temperate checks
• Retreat venue will be provided with hand sanitizer and soap.
Prevention - FAO OF ALL ATTENDEES
Various preventative measures have already been advised by the government and are listed below as clear guidelines and rules suggested by Cariad Yoga.
• Mats, bolsters and blocks will be provided and handed out at the start of the retreat. Please do not swap and share with others. Antibacterial spray and cloths should be used to clean down equipment after each use. We suggest you bring two pillow cases from home for you to cover your bolster.
• When entering or exiting doorways, it is advisable that you avoid touching the door handles where possible. Where you can and where available use disinfectant wipes. A supply of which is now held in the communal living room kitchen cupboard for use by staff and attendees.
• Wash your hands regularly with soap for 20 seconds or more and when using hand sanitiser use alcohol based sanitiser with more than a 60% alcohol content. A supply of which has also been provided and held in the communal living room kitchen cupboard (any allergies should be reported to see if we can provide an alternative for you). It is advised that you keep this on your person at all times and use regularly and in situations where hand washing is not an option.
• If coughing or sneezing please try and use disposable tissues and dispose of immediately. Please remember viral infections can live for up to a week on clothing and other materials.
• Be advised that government and medical advise can change quickly. Therefore please monitor advice. Some useful links have been provided for you in the first instance below, however if in doubt please seek the advise of a medical professional.
Live data from the government on current travel restrictions can be obtained here
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
https://www.questcover.com/news/the-effects-of-the-coronavirus/
UK health authorities are currently advising people to self-isolate if:
They are awaiting a test result for coronavirus
They have had close contact with a confirmed infected person
They have returned from some places affected by the virus ( see affected areas split into 2 categories as below)
Links:
Procedures
• If you suspect someone you have come into contact with may be infected with Corona Virus and you have good reasons to suspect they have visited an infected region please report this to Cariad Yoga immediately to assess whether you can attend the retreat and seek medical advice via 111 immediately.
• If you are yourself diagnosed with Corona Virus in the lead up to the retreat, you must advise Cariad Yoga at the first opportunity.