COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

As of the 2022-23 season, ALE is reverting to our standard Terms & Conditions. This means that our normal cancellation and refund policies apply. We strongly recommend that you take out trip cancellation insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage, to cover all eventualities.

As countries around the world adjust to living with COVID-19, we have updated our COVID procedures to align with current best practices. Our updated procedures: recognize the role of vaccination and mask wearing in reducing health risks, respect regulations applicable to Antarctica and to the countries in which we operate, use pre-departure tests to minimize the risk of bringing COVID-19 into our operations and Antarctica, and respect individual choices around other precautionary measures.  Read More

• Vaccination. ALE requires all guests, guides, tour leaders and tour escorts to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel to Antarctica. All ALE staff will be fully vaccinated. ‘Fully Vaccinated’ means a full primary course of a WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccine, completed at least 2 weeks before travel, plus at least one booster, if more than 6 months have passed since completion of the primary course.
• Testing. Pre-departure tests will be provided by ALE in Punta Arenas, Chile. Facilities are available for testing symptomatic persons in Antarctica, if clinically indicated.
• Strict sanitation policies are in place throughout our operations,
• Masks are strongly recommended in closed spaces where close contact cannot be avoided. (e.g. on ALE flights and in vehicles).

Yes – ALE requires all travelers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19* to travel to Antarctica. Read More

• Vaccination is the primary layer of safety for you and other travelers: You are less likely to contract COVID-19, you are less likely to get seriously ill if you do contract it, and you are less likely to transmit the virus to others.
• * Fully Vaccinated means a full primary course of a WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccine, completed at least 2 weeks before travel, plus at least one booster, if more than 6 months have passed since completion of the primary course. If you are unable to get a booster, please contact us.

You may have any WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

Unfortunately, you will not have met our vaccination requirements and will not be able to travel to Antarctica with ALE.

You will need to provide a certificate from your vaccination provider. This must include the following:

• Your name
• Name of vaccine
• Date of vaccination doses
• Name of healthcare professional or vaccination provider

It makes sense to reduce your risk of infection by always following good hygiene practices, in particular:

• Avoiding unnecessary close-contact
• Mask wearing in close-contact situations,
• Frequent hand sanitizing

ALE does not require you to take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen test before departing from home but airlines or countries on your flight route may require it. Check international travel requirements carefully, to ensure you meet any requirements.

Please contact the ALE office as soon as possible. You may not be able to travel internationally.

Chile has its own vaccination requirements, separate from those of ALE. Where vaccination is required, certificates must be validated in advance, through an online portal, mevacuno.gob.cl. Once validated, a Chilean ‘Mobility Pass’ is issued. We recommend you apply for a Mobility Pass before leaving home. Read More

• Chile’s Protected Borders Plan specifies the requirements to enter Chilean territory. The plan is based on three ‘Alert Levels’. COVID-19 vaccination is not required at Level 1. A full primary course of vaccination, validated through mevacuno.gob.cl, would be required, should the COVID alert level rise to Level 2, or 3.
• Within Chile, an activated Mobility Pass, or a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken in Chile, is required to access many services, including regional flights*, restaurants, theaters, buses and other venues. A booster dose may be required to activate your Mobility Pass.
• * Please note that the majority of international flights to Chile arrive in Santiago and a regional flight is required to travel to Punta Arenas.

 

International Vaccination Recommendations and Requirements

• National and international health authorities continue to strongly recommend vaccination and international travel requirements are subject to change at short notice.
• Airlines or insurance companies may also require proof of vaccination before offering their services. Do not assume that you will be able to receive vaccination at short notice.

You can check your country’s COVID-19 information center or Chilean embassy website. Once you are in Punta Arenas, our staff will help you comply with any local requirements. Additionally, the following Chilean government websites have current information:

• https://chile.travel/en/traveltochileplan (Spanish/English/Portuguese)
• https://www.gob.cl/pasoapaso/  (in Spanish)
• https://www.minsal.cl/ (in Spanish)

* * Travel requirements are subject to change and vary by country. It is your responsibility to investigate and know the requirements of your home and transit countries for both departure and return. The IATA travel center and some airline websites provide guidance. ** 

Lingering effects from COVID-19 are causing international travel disruptions, including long airport line ups, canceled and delayed flights, and lost luggage. We recommend taking the most direct route and allowing plenty of time in your itinerary for these eventualities. Consider hand carrying necessary items and putting an air tag in your checked luggage to help track it, if it gets lost.

No – ALE will not require you to have a period of quarantine in Punta Arenas before departing for Antarctica. However, Chilean or Antarctic regulations may require a period of quarantine.

For the safety of all guests, you are expected to take reasonable measures to reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19 while in Punta Arenas. You are also expected to follow all local health regulations. If you test positive in Punta Arenas, then you will not be permitted to board the flight to Antarctica.

Yes – ALE’s testing in Punta Arenas is a key element of our COVID-19 management strategy, to reduce the likelihood of an infected person traveling to Antarctica. Read More

All travelers will be required to:

• Arrive in Punta Arenas, Chile a minimum of:
  • 3 nights before your scheduled departure for Antarctica for all Guests on all Experiences except Ski South Pole Expeditions
  • 6 nights before your scheduled departure for all Ski South Pole Expedition Guests
• Take pre-departure COVID-19 tests as required by ALE. These will be rapid antigen tests (also called lateral flow tests, or LFT’s), provided and monitored by ALE. They will involve nasopharyngeal swabs.
• Further tests may be required if there are significant delays in departure for Antarctica or if other circumstances dictate them.

Yes – Testing is a key part of our COVID strategy, to reduce the likelihood of an infected person traveling to Antarctica. Read More

• Evidence is that currently available COVID vaccines are extremely effective in preventing serious disease. They also significantly reduce transmission. However:
1. 1. Some people will not produce an adequate immune response after vaccination. There is no way of telling who these people are. They may contract COVID-19 and even if they do not become seriously ill they may still transmit the disease to the vulnerable. Testing will identify these “breakthrough” cases.
   2. Vaccines have been developed against various strains of the virus and have different effectiveness against different variants. In transit to Chile you will likely be in contact with people from countries where different strains are prevalent. Equally new ones will emerge after your course of vaccination. Your vaccine may not fully protect you against all the variants to which you are exposed.
   3. ALE has an obligation to the larger Antarctic community to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the continent. Our stringent testing protocols are a crucial part of reducing this risk as low as reasonably practical.

The average incubation period of the omicron variant of COVID-19 is between 3-5 days. Sequential testing over several days in Punta Arenas gives us the best chance of picking up an infection acquired shortly before leaving home or in transit to Antarctica.

Participation in your Experience depends on negative testing. If you test positive, you will not be allowed to board your ALE flight to Antarctica. In addition we will follow all local regulations on contact tracing

If you do not complete ALE’s testing process, you will not be permitted to board any ALE flight.

These labs provide COVID-19 testing in Punta Arenas and Santiago.

Mandatory vaccination and pre-departure screening should reduce the likelihood of a COVID-19 positive individual getting to Antarctica. This will allow us to use a balanced approach, employing common-sense measures without onerous requirements. Read More

Our Antarctic COVID-19 mitigation measures will include:

• Ventilation of communal tents.
• ALE Staff wearing masks in certain close-contact situations.
• Strict hygiene protocols in all areas
• Testing persons with COVID-19 symptoms if clinically indicated
• Isolation of positive cases
• Staff training and ongoing review of COVID-19 protocols

ALE will not be doing any routine testing in Antarctica but tests will be administered, where clinically indicated, to persons experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Yes – ALE will have the ability to test for COVID-19 at Union Glacier and all of our remote camps.

No – You will not be required to wear a mask, but we highly recommend you do so in closed spaces where close contact cannot be avoided. Staff will wear masks in these situations. To be effective, masks must be worn properly at all times, covering both your mouth and nose.

Yes – All of our Antarctic accommodations are dual occupancy.

Tell any staff member immediately if you feel unwell. They will refer you to our medics, who will make an assessment, test you for COVID-19 if clinically indicated, and decide on any necessary treatment.

Yes! ALE believes the 2022 season will be one for the books, filled with all the exciting, adventurous, and awe-inspiring experiences that are part of a visit to Antarctica.