SVG Unveils New Entry Requirements for Travellers

The 32 islands and cays, unspoiled natural attractions and luxurious hideaways of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are ready to impress and embrace visitors once again. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) never officially shut its borders to tourists and remains open for business, poised to welcome visitors once they are permitted to travel from their respective countries.

In March, SVG took strict measures to contain the spread of the virus and with few visitors able to reach the destination due to restrictions in travelling from other countries, the destination has seen a relatively low number of cases.

Canadians will be able to reach SVG once again through a direct route from Toronto to the main island of St. Vincent with Air Canada Rouge which plans to resume service in July 2020.

Phase 1 covers the period from July 1 to July 30, with the following entry requirements to ensure safe entry of travellers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a manner that reduces the risk of the importation and subsequent transmission of COVID-19, applying:

• All travellers to SVG will have a PCR COVID-19 test done on arrival, with the exception of travellers whose country of origin (present in country for at least 14 days) is in the CARICOM Bubble. The CARICOM bubble consists of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, BVI, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. Travellers from within the CARICOM Bubble will not be required to complete a COVID-19 laboratory test but they will need to complete a COVID-19 Questionnaire.
• All travellers arriving from outside of the CARICOM Bubble will be required to go immediately from the airport to their private accommodation or hotel site for a 24-hour quarantine and await the results of the PCR test.
• Once travellers have received a Negative Rapid Antibody Test or Negative PCR Test and have no signs and symptoms of COVID-19 after 24 hours following arrival, they will be contacted and discharged from quarantine.
• All travellers who entered with approved documentation of a negative (IgG & IgM) COVID-19 antibody test done within the past 5 days and a negative SVG COVID-19 PCR test, will not need to quarantine. Such a traveller would be required to monitor their temperatures for the next 14 days and report any elevations to the local health authority.
• Prior to arrival, all travellers will be required to complete an online VINCYCOVID application or fill in a VINCYCOVID questionnaire on the flight prior to arrival.
• Upon arrival, all passengers will be screened before entering the arrivals area. Screening may include probing for symptoms, temperature checks and laboratory specimen collection. The area for screening will be sanitized after each group is screened.

In Phase 2 which commences Aug. 1 and based on the data gained during Phase #1 and the current epidemiology of the COVID-19 Pandemic, arriving travellers will be subjected to PCR COVID-19 testing depending on their country of origin.

For more on the new rules, go to http://health.gov.vc/health/index.php/c & https://www.facebook.com/SVGHEALTH/

For more on SVG, go to www.discoversvg.com .