Please find attached updated COVID-19 Protocols for the islands of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION (NEMO)

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

WEST INDIES

Tel: 784-456-2975, Fax: 784-457-1691, Email: nemosvgeoc@gmail.com or nemosvg@gov.vc

HEALTH SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE

PROTOCOL FOR THE ENTRY OF TRAVELLERS TO ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES – revised 31/08/2020

AIM: The safe entry of travellers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a manner that reduces the risk of the importation and subsequent transmission of COVID-19 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To establish the risk of the arriving traveller introducing new COVID-19 to SVG;

2. To minimize exposure of residents of SVG to new COVID-19;

3. Early identification of potential exposure to new COVID-1, and

4. Early containment of new COVID-19.

ESTABLISH RISK OF ARRIVING TRAVELLER:

The arriving traveler will:
1. Complete the Pre-Arrival Form available at health.gov.vc

Or
2. Complete Pre-Arrival form (hard copy) prior to arrival.

And the Port Health Officer will:
1. Complete of Port Health form for each arriving passenger.

PHASED PROCESS OF ENTRY OF TRAVELERS TO ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES:

TESTING & QUARANTINE:

PHASE #3 - Commencing August 31, 2020 for High and Medium Risk Countries and September 7, 2020 for Low Risk Countries:

1. ALL travelers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines MUST ARRIVE WITH a negative COVID-19 test result (SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR or SARS-CoV-2 Antigen or IgM antibody test):

1. High Risk Countries:

   1. United States of America, including the United States Virgin Islands

      (USVI), China, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Brazil, India, Panama, Argentina, Peru, Haiti, Colombia, South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, Italy, Bahamas, Turks and Ciaos Islands and Russia.

   2. Must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 test done no more than seven (7) days before arrival.

   3. Will be retested for COVID-19 on arrival in SVG.

   4. MUST Mandatory five (5) day quarantine in a Tourism

      Authority/MOHWE approved Transition/Quarantine Hotel at their

      cost. Must arrive with proof of the fully paid reservation.

   5. Must be retested between day four (4) and day (5) of quarantine.

   6. Must continue Nine (9) to sixteen (16) days of quarantine in an approved home/hotel at the discretion of the Port Health Officer.

2. Medium Risk Countries:

   1. Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Belize, United Kingdom,

      Germany, British Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago.

   2. Must arrive with a negative result of a COVID-19 test done no more

      than five (5) days before arrival.

   3. Will be retested on arrival in SVG.

   4. MUST Mandatory quarantine for forty-eight (48) to seventy-two

      (72) hours at home to await clearance.

   5. May continue to quarantine to a total of fourteen (14) days as

      determined by the Port Health Officer.

3. Low Risk:

i. Countries: CARICOM Bubble (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, , Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia), Taiwan, Canada, Iceland;

1. For the purposes of the CARICOM Bubble, the country of residence will be the last country that the traveler was present in for at least 14 days.

ii. Bubble Resorts/Hotels in SVG: Mustique Island, Mandarin Hotel :

1. Travelers to SVG Island Resorts /Hotels considered Bubble Sites on private planes (the entire island or hotel facility is considered a COVID-19 free space).

1. Private vessels with all passengers holding negative COVID-19 tests results;

2. MUST Arrive with a negative result for a COVID-19 test done no more than seven (7) days before arrival.

3. May be retested on arrival in SVG.

4. No quarantine if no evidence of onboard vessel exposure and not in a

   high risk occupation.

1. Any other country not assigned to the above categories should be assumed to

   be high risk

2. Countries are placed in categories based on the presence or absence of

   community spread in the country and the level of that spread:

   1. High risk – widespread significant increasing community spread

   2. Medium risk – limited community spread; may be increasing;

   3. Low risk – no community spread.

3. High risk occupations include:

   1. Crew members (persons coming from a sailing vessel)

   2. Oil Rig workers

   3. Health Care Workers (current)

   4. Prison/Detention Facility Workers.

2. In-transit Passengers:

1. Through St. Vincent and the Grenadines:

   1. Must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within five (5) days of arrival.

   2. If the in-transit period does not include an over-night stay, that period must be spent at the Argyle International Airport.

   3. If the in-transit period includes an over-night stay, that period must be spent in a TA/MOHWE approved hotel.

2. Travelers 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

   1. Grenada - https://www.nowgrenada.com/2020/07/protocol-for-travellers- into-grenada/

   2. Antigua - https://visitantiguabarbuda.com/travel-advisory/

   3. Barbados - https://www.visitbarbados.org/covid-19-travel-guidelines-2020

   4. St. Lucia - https://www.stlucia.org/en/covid-19/

3. Diplomats:

1. Must have a negative PCR COVID-19 test result done within seven (7) days of

   arrival.

2. ALL Diplomats who arrive by air will be quarantined for at least 24 hours to

   await additional PCR test results of all passengers from the same flight.

PROCESS ON ARRIVAL:

ARRIVAL ASSESSMENT:

1. Review of Pre-Arrival Form online or

2. Review of Pre-Arrival Form hard copy.

ESTABLISH SARS-COV-2/COVID-19 STATUS:

1. Approval of SARS-CoV-2 test result by Port Health Team

   and

2. Collection of a nasal swab specimen for a COVID-19 PCR test from all qualifying disembarking travellers.

3. Travelers by air:

   1. All travelers will be assessed by the Port Health Officers to determine their

      final level of risk and the length of mandatory quarantine required.

   2. All travelers will then immediately proceed to an approved place of

      accommodation for a 24 – 48 hour quarantine period to await the result of the

      COVID-19 PCR test.

4. Travelers by sea:

1. All travelers with approved documentation of a negative COVID-19 PCR test done within 3-5 days will not need to quarantine.

1. All travelers will be required to monitor their temperatures for the next 14 days and report any elevations to the local health authority.

2. All travelers with a positive COVID-19 PCR test result will be isolated in an approved accommodation/facility for the next 14 days at the cost of the traveller.

REQUIREMENTS OF DISCHARGE FROM QUARANTINE:

1. Objective measures:

   1. Negative PCR Test

   2. Not a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case.

2. Subjective measures:

a. Absence of signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
3. 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.