72-hour pre-test for Covid requirement changed; TCI Cabinet gives Visitors more time

#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – July 10, 2020 — Turks and Caicos has agreed to give travelers more time to get the requisite test results to prove their negative Covid-19 status.

The news emerges from a July 8 Cabinet Meeting and is in response to the Hotel and Tourism industry’s concern about the previously announced 72-hour time frame.  It was described by some resorts as being ‘too tight’ for guests and was forcing guest cancellations.

The Turks and Caicos re-opens to Tourism on July 22 despite a sharp spike in positive diagnoses of the coronavirus; up to 54 active cases in just under three weeks.

US media reports inform that turnaround time on a Covid-19 PCR test is between 4-6 days.

The Cabinet report made public today explained it was ‘Agreed effective 22^nd July 2020 for visitors and returning residents (with the exception of children aged ten (10) or under) to have evidence of a negative Covid-19 test taken within five (5) days of arrival in TCI instead of 72 hours. From 22^nd July 2020, visitors and any person who is not covered under the National Health Insurance Plan must also have Covid-19 specific travel insurance that covers in country medical treatment, the cost of quarantine, and repatriation/medivac (if necessary).’

Hotels, casinos and restaurants had been expected to reopen since Monday Jully 6; the surge in positive cases of Covid-19 in Providenciales has resulted in a two week delay in those business resuming regular operations.

The local economy reopens now on July 20; two days before the first flights are due in at the Providenciales International Airport.