Due to uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 virus, the Simon Cumbers Media Fund is asking recipients of the Fund to consider all official health and travel advice before making any plans to travel. If you are making plans to travel, or adjusting your plans in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, please keep the Fund administrators informed of your plans. If flexibility is required in respect of your planned project, please liaise with the Fund administrators before you incur any expense.
1.0 General considerations
The Simon Cumbers Media Fund is asking all recipients to note the following:
- Please check with your commissioning editor / employer about its policy in respect of international travel, as many organisations have already restricted non-essential travel, including to regions where the COVID-19 virus has had limited impacts to date.
- Before you travel, or make travel arrangements, please check with the travel advice on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website. dfa.ie/travel
- If you are returning from international travel, particularly from an affected area, and are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, please check the most up-to-date advice on the HSE website: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html
2.0 Guidance for Fund recipients who have not yet booked travel
Guidance to recipients of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund who have not yet made arrangements to travel, but were approved for funding in 2018/2019:
- Check your contract for the due date of project completion: where your project completion deadline is within the next three to six months, please contact the Fund administrators about securing an extension to your project.
- If your employer has put in place a policy of non-essential overseas travel, please do not make travel arrangements – contact the administrators of the Fund about deferral until such a time as your employer’s policy changes.
- Given the changing situation and potential for the COVID-19 virus to spread to other countries globally, consider delaying your travel until more is known about the extent and impact and spread of COVID-19.
- If you wish to book flights, consider booking with an airline carrier that has already put in place fare flexibility and waiver systems to enable a change-of-flight without fee. Many airlines are in the process of making such provisions available: check with airlines on their terms and conditions before booking.
- If you are concerned about travelling in the short / medium term, contact the Fund administrator about deferral of your project until such as time as these concerns are allayed.
3.0 Guidance for Fund recipients who have booked travel
Guidance to recipients of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund who have made arrangements to travel, and who have considered the points covered in 1.0 of this advisory:
- If you have impending travel plans to an area affected by COVID-19 and where there are travel restrictions in place, contact the Fund administrator to examine options.
- If your employer has imposed non-essential international travel restrictions, please contact the Fund administrator to examine options.
- If you are due to travel, but are concerned for your personal health and risks caused by COVID-19, please contact the Fund administrator to examine options.
