The Cabinet of St. Vincent and the Grenadines issued a revised list effective March 19th, 2020, of quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from the following countries:
China
European Union (including Italy, the Overseas Departments of France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin, French Guiana)
Iran
South Korea
United States of America (including USVI and Puerto Rico)
Canada
United Kingdom
Individuals entering St. Vincent and Grenadines from the above listed countries will be subject to a mandatory quarantine for 14 days after leaving their port of departure.
The quarantine will be actively monitored by Public Health Officials and members of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and Coast Guard, and will remain in effect whether the individual travels to or from the Grenadines.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment will not hesitate to seek court orders to enforce this quarantine requirement as evidenced by the court orders secured and served on the entire group of passengers who arrived on AA 1427 on Saturday, March 28, 2020.
Additionally, effective March 28, 2020, all arriving passengers who meet the quarantine requirement will be required to sign an Undertaking to Quarantine form issued by the Ministry of National Security, Air and Seaport Development. Any breach of this undertaking will result in appropriate action under the Laws of
St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
All persons previously instructed to be under quarantine are reminded that the instruction is mandatory and any breach may result in imprisonment and or a fine.
While in quarantine, the following steps should be taken:
Do not leave home. Do not go to work, school, other publics areas.
Do not use public transportation.
Arrange to have groceries and other necessities delivered.
Stay in a separate room and if possible use a separate bathroom from others in the home.
If you have to be in contact with others, stay at least three (3) feet apart, wear a mask and keep interactions short.
Avoid contact with the elderly, persons with chronic diseases and pets.
Do not allow visitors to the home.
Wash hands often with soap and water and dry with a paper towel. Alcohol based hand sanitizers may also be used.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
At least once daily, clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched often e.g. toilets, tables, doorknobs, phones, TV remotes. Use regular household disinfectants or diluted bleach to disinfect.
Do not share personal items such as toothbrushes, bed linen, utensils or electronics.
For items that cannot be cleaned, discard in a plastic lined.
Put the lid of the toilet down before flushing.
Get some rest, eat a balanced diet and stay in touch with others through telephone, email or social media.
Monitor for the appearance of any symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) as instructed by your healthcare provider and immediately contact the COVID-19 Hotline (534-4325) if symptoms appear.
If symptoms develop cough or sneeze into a tissue or the cuff of the elbow.
Take paracetamol for fever. Do not take Advil or Ibuprofen.
The aim of the 14 days (the time it usually takes for the development of symptoms and the increased likelihood of a positive test for COVID-19) of quarantine is to protect the entire population in St. Vincent and the Grenadines by reducing the contacts of an individual who may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Reducing contacts has been shown to be key in reducing spread – our shared responsibility.