#TurksandCaicosIslands, January 29, 2021 – It is a saga of epic twists and turns and the plot does thicken when it comes to the challenges of managing travel and tourism amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic. A week ago, no one needed a negative Covid-19 test in order to enter the United States from an international destination. A week ago, air travel from the Caribbean was not banned by Canada. A week ago, there were not 100,000 deaths due to COVID in the United Kingdom.
A lot can change in the span of a week, we
have come to learn, when it comes to this outrageously cruel virus which has
now killed over two million people across the globe.
Every time travel and tourism industry
professionals figure out a way to keep the sector buoyant, there comes another
hurdle to hop. The situation is
certainly fluid and good advice is travellers must do the research,
continuously, right up to the point of and during their trips.
We have found a morsel of reprieve. Travellers
from America who will travel back to America from an international destination
are exempt from having to get a brand new Covid-19 test result if, and only if,
their travel is within three days.
The US Centers for Disease Control says
this at its website: “If a trip is shorter
than 3 days, a viral test taken in the United States can be used to fulfill the
requirements of the Order as long as the specimen was taken no more than three
days before the return flight to the US departs. If the return travel is
delayed longer than 3 days after the test, the passenger will need to be
retested before the return flight.
Travelers considering
this option should additionally consider the availability of appropriate
testing capacity at their destinations, and the time frame needed to obtain
results, as a contingency when making plans for travel.”
Another important
clarification is linked to whether quarantine and isolation orders are
mandatory or not.
Though still a bit
sketchy, as rules can vary from state to state, the CDC is only recommending
that people self-isolate for up to 14-days.
The coronavirus has a 14 day incubation period, and the CDC believes it
is wisest to at least stay home and away from others for a minimum of seven
days.
It is a recommendation
only, however. Here is the guideline on
what to do, grabbed from the CDC website:
After You Travel: Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay
home and self-quarantine for 7 days after travel. Even if you test negative, stay home and
self-quarantine for the full 7 days. If
your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting
infected. If you don’t get tested,
it’s safest to stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days,
whether you get tested or not.
Always follow state and local recommendations or
requirements related to travel.”
A State-by-State listing
of travel requirements published by CNN reveals Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey have little to no travel requirements
and do not make mandatory the quarantine.
New York however is
different, though a negative test result may be sufficient to exempt a traveler
from mandatory isolation.
Though all of this
information on regulations is thoroughly documented at reputable and official
websites, it could all change in the blink of an eye or with the stroke of a
pen; you’ve been duly warned.
