Newbie with questions

Hello all! I'm a newbie here, so please forgive ignorance on my part. Very excited about our first trip to BVI, despite the hoops we'll have to jump. We are renting a Gold Seal Certified villa and arriving at EIS with a connection at SJU. I've read through all the recent posts, but most of my questions specifically relate to the new entry protocols (12/9/20), so it looks like only a few of you have actually travelled to Tortola from the U.S. since then.

1. Test to be taken "within five days prior to arrival" -- Really nervous about the slow turn-around time of PCR results here, so we want to take our tests ASAP. If we are arriving on February 9, is that day counted or not? In other words, is the earliest day we can take our pre-arrival test Feb 4 or Feb 5?
2. We'll be renting a car, but of course taking a "government-approved vehicle" to our villa for the first four days of quarantine, so we're trying to figure out where and when to begin car rental:
~ Will we return to the airport for our Day 4 PCR test or somewhere else?
~ Do we need to pre-arrange for transportation to the Day 4 test, or will the "government-approved vehicle" pick us up?
~ Will we receive our test results on Day 5, and thus be allowed to move about the island that day? i.e., we should begin our car rental on Feb 14? (Happy Valentine's Day!)

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give us. We are keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly and we can actually be sitting in the tropical sun in a couple weeks. We are SO ready to escape our ten months of hard-core quarantining here in the northeast!

Not a villa renter trip but chartered a Cat. He covers most of your questions. It's a great video. You'll feel a lot better after you watch it. I've not made the trip so won't comment further but return here and ask if your questions aren't answered after wataching the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEVgwCf-1ZU&feature=youtu.be

I will let someone else answer #1 but regarding the others:
-The day 4 test will be at one of the many sites they have set up and will the one closest to your rental. Remember the day you arrive
is called day 0, so count the days accordingly.
-The government will send out their own taxi for you
-On day 5 you will get test results. It could come anytime during the day but likely early afternoon.
-I would set up the car rental for a late day pick up on day 5, if you are unable to make it call them and reschedule for the next day.
-After you get the all clear, you will need to go to a police station to turn in your tracking gear. I was told any police station but
the one in west end said they weren't fully prepared and asked I go t town.

Wow, thanks so much for the video link, jbuch02! I started watching and then decided I'd save it for later tonight so my husband can watch it with me. I think it will be very helpful! 👍🏻
GaryC, thanks for clarifying the Day 4 info. Definitely helps in planning! 😀

Just had to jump back in and say how awesome the video is that jbuch02 recommended above. So filled with information and highly recommended to anyone going to BVI during COVID protocols (especially if chartering) . Thanks again for the recommendation!

Still wondering about how to count "within five days prior to arrival." Can anybody confirm?

Your arrival day is Day Zero. You count down to zero and then count up from zero. Your first (pre-travel) test must be done (sample taken and results received) within the five days prior to Day Zero. Your arrival test is on Day Zero. Then you test again on Day Four. If negative, you are able to roam about (but still follow the recommended protocols).

Thanks for clarifying, ecm56! That's what we were thinking, but it's good to have it confirmed by someone else.

The USVI produced a very clear calendar-style graphic to illustrate the concept. The BVI did something similar but didn't show the pre-travel tests, which are one of the hardest to coordinate with regards to the timing.