September 1: Tourists must be VAXXED to visit TCI

#TurksandCaicos, August 17, 2021 – In 14 days, things will change dramatically for the Turks and Caicos when it comes to who is allowed into the country as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to force sweeping reviews of rules in the travel and tourism industry.

“Approved amendments to existing measures under the Public and Environmental Health (COVID-19 Pandemic) Regulations 2020, with effect from 1 September 2021 until further notice, as follows:  All visitors aged 16 and above to be fully vaccinated on arrival in TCI,” a rule evolving from the Turks  and Caicos Islands Cabinet meeting of August 11.

Turks and Caicos is setting the bar very high for tourists to enter the country, after guests accounted for nearly 70 per cent of the new cases of Covid-19 and following discovery of the delta strain within the islands.

Now, in addition to mandatory medical coverage, mandatory testing within three days of travel to Turks and Caicos, every tourist 16 years and older must be vaccinated.

The new measure is met with harsh criticism and deep concern, as the industry has in recent months shown tremendous signs of a pre-Covid 19 bounce-back.

Others say it is right move to make in order to protect these islands.

The Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association had the chance to weigh in on the government’s response to the spike in tourist positives last week; a poll which tipped the scales in favour of not mandating vaccination for tourists.

“Discussions were held last week Thursday (August 5) with the sector to get their feedback on possible measures for the surge in cases,” said newly appointed minister of Health, Jamell Robinson.

From the sector there was not unanimous support informed Trevor Musgrove, president of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, who also said the industry despite stands by the government’s “tough” decision.

“My understanding was that they voted against it,” said Ken Patterson, CEO of Seven Stars resort, “We don’t know what percentage of our tourists are unvaccinated, so no one knows what impact this will have on TCI.”

Patterson also believes government would be better strengthened in its response to the spike in tourism and imported cases of Covid-19 and the Delta variant with measures which empowered resort owners to get all frontline staff vaccinated and says, with some tweaking the new standard could be a plus for safe tourism.”

“Why are tourists being asked to provide a negative test and insurance if they are already vaccinated?  This could be made into a positive tourism message if these, now unnecessary, requirements are dropped.”

Still, new minister of Health Jamell Robinson said the Cabinet determined this would be the best rule as of September 1.

“We have to balance lives and livelihoods; 68 per cent of the 133 positive cases as of early July were visitors.  Community spread was evidence by the contact tracing.  With the pervasiveness of the Delta Variant, it could be asked, could we afford not to make the change?”

During the press conference Minister Robinson offered, “Ninety of the 133 persons who tested positive from early July to date were tourists; that is a significant percentage so based on that, we know we have to put measures in place to deal with that large proportion of the COVID positives and one of the ways of doing that is to ensure that all tourists coming in are vaccinated.”

The Health minister, during his debut press conference held on August 12 echoed a message and vision which had been shared by Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor ahead of the first batch of UK-gifted vaccines arrival to the Turks and Caicos.

“What this allows us to do, is to market the Turks and Caicos Islands as a vaccination-only destination.  So, that says to the world, we are a safe holiday destination that gives confidence to persons boarding that plane who are vaccinated that once they get into the Turks and Caicos Islands, the people they interact with, who are other visitors will be a vaccinated and the adults we have, at least 67 per cent of them are fully vaccinated.”

Cancellations are expected by the tourism and travel industry.  Cancellations are already being recorded to the destination.

Among the other Caribbean region countries restricting inbound travellers to vaccinated-only visitors are Anguilla, Puerto Rico and St. Kitts and Nevis, according to Travel Weekly.com.