YWAM Mazatlan COVID-19 Updates

Our campus is operating at 50% of our usual capacity. Face masks that cover the mouth and nose are required at all times when on campus. We are taking temperatures daily, limiting capacity in different areas on campus, and have increased the use of hand gel.

Local authorities have visited our campus and confirmed that we are doing well in our response to COVID-19. All our students are tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and are required to wait in quarantine until test results come back (usually within 12-18 hours).

Yes. We have medical professionals on staff in YWAM Mazatlan that are assisting us with medical issues as they arise. They have been available during the COVID-19 crisis to help keep us updated with new protocols. They are able to check symptoms and take temperatures, and should it be necessary, contact local doctors for further medical assistance. If a staff or student were to show symptoms of COVID-19, they would be given immediate medical attention , including a space to be quarantined.

No. Air travel is not currently restricted in Mexico, and the country continues to receive international flights. The Mexican government is not involved in setting our school or program schedules as a ministry, as we are not registered as a national university. We do cooperate according to national and local protocols.

If during this time we are notified to postpone or cancel our programs, we will advise our staff and students immediately and follow instructions given by local or national authorities.

We are currently operating with standard campus procedures and daily base cleaning. We are also taking extra precautions by sanitizing shared common areas 3 times a day. We are also taking temperatures daily of everyone on campus.

In general, the city has returned to normal. At the time of this publication, residents are not required to stay home. Masks are not required when outdoors. Physical distancing is encouraged.

Anyone who lives off-campus is required to wear a face mask at all times when on campus.

Anyone who lives on campus is permitted to remove their mask from 6 PM to 9 AM every day.

All our students live on campus and must test negative for COVID-19 before integrating into the community.

There are several private hospitals in Mazatlan that are fully-staffed and equipped to provide medical care. Some have bilingual staff. Regardless of COVID-19, we require that everyone participating with YWAM Mazatlan hold valid and adequate health insurance. This is also required should the need arise for them to return to their home country for continued healthcare.

You will be entering Mexico on a tourist visa. If asked, you can let immigration officials know that you are coming to volunteer with a ministry for six months.

If for some reason you are unable to enter Mexico, you will be responsible for returning to your home country. It is unlikely that you would not be able to re-enter your home country.

It is unlikely that you would not be able to re-enter your country of citizenship.

Our dorm rooms can host up to 12 people in each room. How many roommates you have will depend on the number of students enrolled in our schools and the availability of accommodations.

At this time we have not set a limit on the number of students we will enroll in our schools.

Most of our speakers will be from Mazatlan, other parts of Mexico, or the USA. Regardless of where they are from, we've asked all our speakers coming from outside Mazatlan to be tested for COVID-19 within 2 days of arrival.

All of our ministries are required to operate under guidelines approved by our Management Team. These guidelines include but are not limited to the use of face masks and physical distancing whenever possible. Not all ministries are operating at this time.

We successfully began our summer schools on August 3. We continue to monitor the local and global COVID-19 situation. If the virus continues to spread and cases increase, we would take decisions accordingly to protect the safety and health of our staff and students.

Mazatlan opened for tourism on July 1. All shops, cinemas, beaches, and parks are open. You are free to explore the city, although we encourage you to wear your face mask and maintain physical distancing from others while in public. The YWAM Mazatlan Management Team will determine any additional restrictions to the ones set by the government.

Outreaches for the summer quarter will begin in October, and we will take every precaution necessary to ensure the safety and health of our staff, students, and contacts. We will make wise decisions in regard to outreach locations and traveling during this time.

All our outreach teams will be tested for COVID-19 before re-integrating into the YWAM Mazatlan campus.

In the case of illness while on outreach, we will take due diligence to provide healthcare for each individual as needed. We have an emergency budget for every outreach and will use that if necessary to seek medical attention, set up special accommodations, or make flight changes. Our outreach leaders will have the continual support of the Outreach Coordinator, DTS Leader, and Training Director.

We will work with outreach contacts to communicate as quickly as possible in the event of anyone on the team displaying symptoms of the virus, or testing positive for COVID-19.