AFS-USA advises all host family members, students, and volunteers to adhere to CDC, federal, state, and local laws, orders, and guidelines pertaining to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. We understand that rules and guidelines pertaining to sheltering in place, social distancing, and wearing personal protective equipment ("PPE") will likely vary across states and towns. We therefore advise volunteers to remain informed of these rules and guidelines, as they may evolve during the year. For the entirety of the NH21/SH22 cycle, we will defer to these rules and guidelines.
For further information on CDC guidelines, as well as state and local guidelines, please review the following resources:
- Things to Know about the COVID-19 Pandemic
- State & Territorial Health Department Websites
- Travel Planner
In addition to CDC guidance around social distancing and usage of PPE, volunteers, host families, and students may wish to take note of CDC advice to obtain seasonal flu vaccination as an added precaution. Please note that the AFS Participant Medical Plan does not provide coverage for vaccinations, so the participant and their family would be responsible for any costs associated with any immunization(s).
Individual families and students may wish to exercise greater caution than what is mandated or advised by the CDC and their state or local governments. In these cases, these expectations should be clearly communicated between the student and host family upon arrival.