New protocols for persons travelling to SVG

Beginning today, Wednesday December 23, travellers to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) from countries considered to be high risk for Covid-19 infection will be required to spend 10 days in mandatory quarantine in an approved quarantine / transition hotel at their cost.

This stipulation is part of the Health Services Committee of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) protocol for entry of travellers to SVG which was revised yesterday, December 22.

Previously, arrivals from high risk countries were only required to spend five days in mandatory quarantine at an approved hotel.

All travellers to SVG must arrive with a negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR COVID-19 test result done no more than 72 hours or three days before arrival.

Travellers from high risk countries may be retested for COVID-19 (RT-PCR) on arrival in SVG and must be retested between day four and day seven of quarantine.

Arrivals from high risk countries who must spend the mandatory 10 days in an approved quarantine hotel must arrive with proof of the fully paid reservation in the hotel. The protocol also stipulates that these arrivals must transfer to the transition hotel in an approved Argyle International Airport taxi or approved vessel (plane or ferry) at their own expense.

High risk countries are: United States of America, including the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), China, United Kingdom, Germany, British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Suriname, Belize, St. Lucia, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Brazil, India, Panama, Argentina, Peru, Haiti, Colombia, South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, Italy, Bahamas, Canada, Turks and Caicos Islands, France (including overseas regions), Spain and Russia.

The country of residence is defined as the last country that the traveller was present in for at least 21 days.

The protocol lists medium risk countries as Taiwan, Cuba, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda.

Arrivals from medium risk countries must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test done no more than 72 hours before arrival; will be retested on arrival in SVG; and must spend mandatory quarantine for 24 to 48 hours at home to await clearance.

These persons may be required to continue 10 monitored days in an approved home/hotel/vessel at the discretion of the Port Health Officer.

Low risk countries are Anguilla, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis. Travellers from these countries must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test done no more than 72 hours before arrival; may be tested on arrival in SVG at the discretion of the Port Health Officer.

These arrivals will not be required to quarantine if there is no evidence of onboard vessel exposure and they are not in a high-risk occupation.