Jason, appreciate the input.....but....there is no exception to the no-go zone, even for boats intending to follow the required protocol and check in process? Why? I don't understand that. Is there a concern that the boat itself will bring in the virus from the USVI? Makes no sense. Maybe if this was bubonic plague.
So I already have the charter booked through VIYC out of St. Thomas and a deposit down. You're saying that even by late March, even though it sounds like vaccines are starting to make it to the BVI population, no boats at all will be able to cross from USVI and check in through any process?
There is already rumor that the port opening is pushed to March 1, 2021 which is what I expected would happen. The government does not call me to explain their thought process so I'm only giving my opinion. My opinion on the topic is if the ports open for ferries on March 1, they will not be prepared with a set of protocols to manage private arrivals. With a ferry, you know how many people are arriving on each boat, what their names are, and whether or not they have been approved by the Health Ministry to enter. It will be the ferry's responsibility to check the BVI Gateway Approval to Travel information along with negative COVID results BEFORE they leave St Thomas. Opening for private boats means anyone can just show up at the dock and if they haven't been given approval to travel, an immigration official is potentially exposed to someone who hasn't been tested.
The BVI has suffered too much and been locked down too many days to take additional risk. Again, just my opinion. In 2020, we had 40 different curfew orders that created 276 days of curfew in the BVI. 30 of those days were 24 hour curfews that restricted everyone to their homes. There were 158 days of beach restrictions beyond the normal curfew hours and 45 days the beaches were entirely closed. Lots of people here already think the protocols are too loose and the government has quite a bit of support to keep the borders heavily restricted. To me, the 2021 season is already shot so not much reason to assume more risk.
