In Six Weeks, COVID vaccine mandate for entry to TCI expires; former minister says it will likely fall away

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, November 17, 2022 – It is very likely that vaccine mandates will not be renewed come January after they expire at the end of the year, according to Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development Jamell Robinson.

Robinson was speaking in his former remit as Minister of Health on Radio Turks and Caicos with Cheryl Foreman during the program First Edition just hours before accepting his new PPID role and he insisted that the TCI was following the science in response to comments made previously by the Leader of the Opposition.

Edwin Astwood, Leader of the People’s Democratic Movement, PDM had questioned why recovered individuals were not allowed into Turks and Caicos, which still mandates that all travellers to the British Overseas territory be fully vaccinated for Covid-19.

Responding to when the TCI would drop the mandates completely Minister Robinson said, “The regulations end on December 31st– all things considered they will fall away because I know that some residents are questioning it, a lot of people keep on asking when are we gonna get rid of it because I know they see other countries dropping the mandates.”

He insisted that the TCI had already gotten rid of ‘a lot of the regulations’ including mandatory testing and the registration portal. The vaccine mandate was the last main mode of protection and then people would be directly responsible for their own health.

“We just have to be mindful that the Turks and Caicos has a unique situation even though COVID isn’t officially over, we are in a place where we can manage it so unless something significant happens at the end of the year, those restrictions will fall away.”

This means the Turks and Caicos will finally open its borders to unvaccinated homeowner investors, who have not been able to visit their properties since the mandate was instituted in 2021.