Are you trying to travel to the Caribbean? Know the rules of Covid

This year, even though he booked a private villa that could be canceled at any time, the weeks leading up to the flight proved to be disturbing. St. John’s – as well as the neighbors St. Thomas and St. Croix – requires all arrivals to provide proof of a negative result from a PCR test conducted within 72 hours of landing. The couple made appointments at a medical clinic, then waited nervously for everything to be clear. Reports of other islands extinguishing or, in the case of St. Bart, abruptly banning visitors have sparked even more unrest. “I didn’t stop worrying about the trip until I was on that plane,” said Irons. “Anything could have happened.”

To pandemic sun seekers, who want sand, sea and heat this spring, the Caribbean may seem like the promised land. And, indeed, most of the Caribbean islands welcome American tourists, but the many entry requirements vary widely and are constantly changing. “Everyone who travels has to realize that this is fluid,” said Michele Rishty, a travel consultant in Bedminster, NJ, who frequently booked a vacation in the Caribbean. “It changes every day.”

Until it changes again, here is a snapshot of the obstacles you are likely to face and guidelines on the islands that are the easiest – or most challenging – to visit.

There will be tests

In most countries and dependent territories of the region, you will need to show proof of a recent Covid-19 negative test just before you put your foot in sandals on the asphalt. How soon you have to take the Covid-19 test varies by country. If you go to the US Virgin Islands, you just have to take that test. But if you go to other islands – outside the US – you will need proof of a negative viral test to return to the mainland. Many resorts are starting to offer on-site tests for this express purpose.

Some destinations, including Anguilla, the Bahamas and Jamaica, insist on a second Covid test upon arrival. Bermuda is even more demanding: visitors must wear a “travel bracelet” for the first 14 days of their stay, be subjected to temperature checks twice a day and undergo additional Covid-19 tests in the fourth, eighth and 14th day of stay.

By comparison, testing protocols in the Dominican Republic are much more relaxed. Instead of asking visitors to submit documentation of a negative Covid-19 test before arrival, local authorities randomly administer rapid tests to a small percentage – between 3% and 15% – of incoming passengers.

What if you have already been completely vaccinated against Covid-19? For now, inoculation will not take you out of the testing requirements.

A paper trail

Most islands also require visitors to complete a health questionnaire before or after arrival. And some, such as Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands, are also asking tourists to come armed with health insurance – or buy them from there – which will cover them in case they get sick during the holidays.

Kristi Mackedanz, a travel advisor at KM Travel Designs in St. Petersburg, Florida, advises potential travelers to check the travel council’s websites for insurance requirements and associated costs. From there, she says, look at the policies to make sure they cover you if you’re positive and have to quarantine on the island for 10 days to two weeks. “Every destination is so different,” she warned.

Track and Shield

Among the islands that impose stricter travel restrictions, Barbados tops the list, according to Tara McCoy, a travel adviser from Columbia, SC, who spent a few days on the British Commonwealth Island in December. After a remarkable increase in cases immediately after the Christmas holiday, the local government issued a fire (lights off at 7 pm) and tightened other rules inspired by Covid. “One by one, the requirements for traveling there have become stricter,” said McCoy. How strict? Tourist site (visitbarbados.org) specifies the exact type of Covid test required to enter the country. Before the trip, visitors are instructed to download an app to their phones; as soon as they arrive, they are offered an electronic bracelet that tracks their movement. The first five days on the island must be spent within the limits of a resort or holiday rental – too much wandering involves heavy fines. On the fifth day, travelers are retested and only if they receive the green light are they free to explore the island. The British Virgin Islands have a similar system of tracking devices, with a mandatory four-day quarantine.

Anguilla’s internal rules are just as strict. Visitors should test negative to a completed PCR test three to five days before arrival, then take a second after arrival. Holidays lasting less than two weeks can only stay in government-approved hotels and villas, as well as go to approved restaurants and specified activities and excursions. Quincia Gumbs-Marie, the honorary parliamentary secretary of tourism, describes this tourist bubble as “a bunch of companies that become certified and take training courses to maintain our safety protocols.” Ms Gumbs-Marie also noted the island’s mask mandate for tourists. “If you are anti-mask … it will be very difficult for you in Anguilla. All our guests must be masked. ”

Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Lucia limit tourists to certain areas. The latter uses a night roof at 19:00.

The Forbidden fruit

In February, as new variants of the coronavirus spread to Europe, the French government closed its overseas territories – including the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Barthélemy – to all tourists from countries outside the European Union. The US State Department also issued a level four travel permit to the whole of French West India, advising Americans to go because of “Covid conditions”. The Cayman Islands is also a hotbed for tourists, with the exception of homeowners, students, relatives and other specially approved visitors.

After all, is life really a beach?

Once you get past the obstacles, the islands feel relatively normal, Ms. Rishty said, though with far fewer tourists and half-empty hotels. Adam Stewart, chief executive of Sandals Resorts International, said occupancy at the 11 all-inclusive Sandals Resorts currently open ranges from 55% to 65% last month, down from 83% last year at the same time.

Ms McCoy, who spent five days in Jamaica in February, welcomed the slower pace. “It was light, comfortable and sunny,” she said, adding that Covid-19 restrictions were similar to those in the United States. “It wasn’t really different here in South Carolina. Wearing a mask and social distancing. ”

Corrections and amplifications

Sandals Resorts currently has 11 resorts open. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that it had six open resorts. (Corrected on March 11)