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by pltm
(PLTM) - Health Minister Hon. Carvin Malone said in light of the ongoing health crisis occurring in India and Brazil with respect to COVID-19, these two countries have been placed on a restricted travel list and travellers from the two countries are mandated to quarantine for a full two weeks.
He gave that indication during a live update today, May 7.
He explained that on May 5, Cabinet considered a report from the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) mainly addressing recent changes to the entry requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.
“I am pleased to provide an update on decisions taken by Cabinet regarding the non-domestic travel requirements in view of the ongoing COVID-19 response. As previously announced, effective May 15, travellers who have been fully vaccinated with their final dose of the vaccine administered, at least 14 days before travel, will be immediately released from quarantine once their arrival test is negative,” Minister Malone stated.
He added, “However, this would not apply to persons travelling from or through Brazil or India. Cabinet had decided to amend the list of restricted countries under the Immigration and Passport Prohibition of Entry Order, 2021 to apply only to Brazil and India. Persons travelling from those countries who were granted permission to enter the Virgin Islands will be required to quarantine for a period of 14-days on arrival, that is from India and Brazil.”
In the meantime, the minister informed that fully vaccinated travellers from all other countries will require the BVI Gateway Travel Authorization Certificate that will now cost a reduced fee of $105, that was $175 previously.
“They will require proof of a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken 3-5 days before arrival. They will require proof of vaccination status, also the RT-PCR COVID-19 test upon arrival and quarantine until the return of a negative test result.”
Children Will Be Tested
He further said where fully vaccinated persons are travelling with one or more unvaccinated children ages 5 to 17 will be tested on arrival.
“Children will be released from quarantine together with their parents or guardians once the test results for the entire group are negative but must remain within their family bubble, and unvaccinated children will be subjected to a further test on day 4. So although they will be released, they would have to return for a day 4 test, that is, children between the ages of 5 to 17,” he remarked.
Additionally, Malone noted that Cabinet also decided that “a fully vaccinated traveler maybe approved for home quarantine in a residence where all the adult occupants are fully vaccinated once the traveller or the travelling party is provided with a separate bedroom and I might add a separate bedroom suite.”
