AIM: The safe entry of travellers to St.Vincent and the Grenadines in a manner that reduces the risk of the importation and subsequenttransmission of COVID-19 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
OBJECTIVES:
- To establish the risk of the arriving traveller introducing new COVID-19 to SVG;
- To minimize exposure of residents of SVG to new COVID-19 cases;
- Early identification of potential exposure to COVID-19 and
- Early containment of new COVID-19 cases.
ESTABLISH RISK OF ARRIVING TRAVELLER:
The arriving traveller will: - Complete the Pre-Arrival Form available at health.gov.vc
And the Port Health Officer will: - Review Port Health form for each arriving passenger.
PHASED PROCESS OF ENTRY OF TRAVELERS TO ST. VINCENT AND THE
GRENADINES:
TESTING & QUARANTINE:
PHASE #9 – Commencing Wednesday December 23, 2020:
- Travellers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines MUST ARRIVE WITH a negative
SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR COVID-19 test result as per the following:
a. High Risk Countries:
i. 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.
ii. Must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test done
no more than seventy-two (72) hours or three (3) days before arrival.
iii. May be retested for COVID-19 (RT-PCR) on arrival in SVG.
iv. MUST Mandatory quarantine for ten (10) days in a Tourism
Authority/MOHWE approved Transition/Quarantine Hotel at
their cost. Must arrive with proof of the fully paid reservation.
v. MUST transfer to the Transition Hotel in an approved AIA taxi or
approved vessel (plane or ferry) at own expense.
vi. Must be retested between day four (4) and day (7) of quarantine.
b. Medium Risk Countries (the country of residence will be the last country
that the traveller was present in for at least 21 days):
i. Taiwan, Cuba, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda;
ii. Must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test
done no more than 72 hours before arrival.
iii. Will be retested on arrival in SVG.
iv. MUST Mandatory quarantine for twenty-four (24) to forty-eight
(48) hours at home to await clearance.
v. May continue ten (10) monitored days in an approved
home/hotel/vessel at the discretion of the Port Health Officer.
c. Low Risk Countries (the country of residence will be the last country that the
traveller was present in for at least 21 days):
i. Anguilla, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis;
ii. Must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test
done no more than 72 hours before arrival.
iii. May be tested on arrival in SVG at the discretion of the Port Health
Officer.
iv. No quarantine if no evidence of onboard vessel exposure and not in high risk occupation.
d. Resort Specific “Bubble Protocol” Hotels in SVG:
i. Resort Specific Protocols must be approved by the Health Services
Subcommittee of the National Emergency Organization and bear the
stamp of the NEMO.
e. Any other country not assigned to the above categories should be assumed to
be high risk.
f. High risk occupations include:
i. Canadian Farm Workers
ii. Crew members (persons coming from a sailing vessel)
iii. Oil Rig workers
iv. Health Care Workers (current)
v. Prison/Detention Facility Workers.
- In-transit Passengers:
a. Through St. Vincent and the Grenadines:
i. Must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours of
arrival.
ii. If the in-transit period does not include an over-night stay, that period
must be spent at the Argyle International Airport.
iii. If the in-transit period includes an over-night stay, that period must be
spent in a TA/MOHWE approved hotel.
b. Travellers intending to transit through another country from St. Vincent and the
Grenadines are advised to visit the country’s travel website to determine the
requirements for travel. For
i. Grenada – https://www.nowgrenada.com/2020/07/ - into-grenada/
ii. Antigua – https://visitantiguabarbuda.com/travel-advisory/
iii. Barbados – https://www.visitbarbados.org/covid-19-travel-guidelines-2020
iv. St. Lucia – https://www.stlucia.org/en/covid-19/ - Diplomats:
a. Must have a negative PCR COVID-19 test result done within 72 hours of arrival.
b. ALL Diplomats who arrive by air will be quarantined at the discretion of the
Chief Medical Officer or the Medical Officer of Health.
PROCESS ON ARRIVAL:
ARRIVAL ASSESSMENT:
a. Review of online pre-arrival form.
ESTABLISH SARS-COV-2/COVID-19 STATUS:
a. Approval of SARS-CoV-2 test result by Port Health Team.
b. Collection of a nasal swab specimen for a COVID-19 PCR test from all qualifying
disembarking travellers.
level of risk and the length of mandatory quarantine required.
d. All travellers will be required to monitor their temperatures and other symptoms for
the next 10 days and report any abnormalities to the local health authority.
e. All travellers with a positive COVID-19 PCR test result will be isolated in an
approved accommodation/facility at the traveller’s own cost.
REQUIREMENTS OF DISCHARGE FROM QUARANTINE:
- Objective measures:
a. Negative PCR Test
b. Not a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case. - Subjective measures:
a. Absence of signs and symptoms of COVID-19. - Not determined to be at high risk for being exposed to COVID-19
Please note that this protocol is prepared by the Health Services Subcommittee of the National
Emergency Committee/COVID-19 Task Force and may be revised at any time at the discretion of
the Health Services Subcommittee.