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New Entry Rules! #264169
09/22/2021 07:35 AM
09/22/2021 07:35 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Online content OP
Traveler
GeorgeC1  Online Content OP
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
Beginning October 1, all fully vaccinated travelers to the BVI including cruise ship passengers and crew will no longer have to apply to enter the BVI using the BVI Gateway Entry Portal.
Premier and Finance Minister Hon. Andrew Fahie made the announcement late this evening, September 21 during the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) radio programme.

“You don’t have to worry about the portal at all if you are fully vaccinated and go through all these tests. You don’t even have to tell us you are coming, you just show up at the port you are leaving from with a negative test [no older than five days], proof of vaccination and you come and when you land you have to pay for the antigen test, right now its $50 per person,” he said.

I sure hope this is true!
G

Last edited by GeorgeC1; 09/22/2021 07:39 AM.
BVI Sponsors
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264171
09/22/2021 08:27 AM
09/22/2021 08:27 AM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 979
Northern Virginia
ecm56 Offline
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ecm56  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 979
Northern Virginia
It was reported by 284 Media and BVI Platinum last night. Nothing yet on the government site but those announcements always lag.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264172
09/22/2021 08:31 AM
09/22/2021 08:31 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Online content OP
Traveler
GeorgeC1  Online Content OP
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
Please be true! I will schedule a Nov or Dec trip and promise to spend lots on of money!
G

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264175
09/22/2021 08:42 AM
09/22/2021 08:42 AM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 788
Kannapolis, NC
ndfaninnc Offline
Traveler
ndfaninnc  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 788
Kannapolis, NC
Just in time for my November trip to Anegada!!!!


Go Irish!!

Bill

[Linked Image]
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264176
09/22/2021 08:43 AM
09/22/2021 08:43 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA
cwoody Offline
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cwoody  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA


Chuck W.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264191
09/22/2021 10:50 AM
09/22/2021 10:50 AM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,675
An island state of mind
tradewinds Offline
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tradewinds  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,675
An island state of mind
I wonder if the insurance is still required.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264198
09/22/2021 11:20 AM
09/22/2021 11:20 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 17,029
Tortola/ Sonoma, California
Manpot Online crying
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Manpot  Online Crying
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 17,029
Tortola/ Sonoma, California
Fabulous news and yes..love to hear about insurance..sounds like its off the books too..anyone?

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264202
09/22/2021 11:48 AM
09/22/2021 11:48 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Online content
Traveler
caribbeangirl13  Online Content
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
It's funny, at first I was thinking that this was great news...one less hurdle to jump over but now, I'm thinking it is just going to make me more stressed because I won't know if I've done everything correctly until I arrive. For example, someone posted that they were approved through the portal using the Binax Now eMed test so we were thinking of using that for entry. Also, wondering if we need insurance now. Last time we used our Blue Cross/Shield insurance but this time we are also traveling with friends who will use a different insurance...don't know if it is the right insurance until we get there. See where I am going with this? At least with the portal, I knew I did everything right when I got my approval.


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

[Linked Image]
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: caribbeangirl13] #264204
09/22/2021 11:54 AM
09/22/2021 11:54 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Originally Posted by caribbeangirl13
It's funny, at first I was thinking that this was great news...one less hurdle to jump over but now, I'm thinking it is just going to make me more stressed because I won't know if I've done everything correctly until I arrive. For example, someone posted that they were approved through the portal using the Binax Now eMed test so we were thinking of using that for entry. Also, wondering if we need insurance now. Last time we used our Blue Cross/Shield insurance but this time we are also traveling with friends who will use a different insurance...don't know if it is the right insurance until we get there. See where I am going with this? At least with the portal, I knew I did everything right when I got my approval.

Based on the interview that is being quoted, it sounds like insurance is no longer a requirement for vaccinated travelers. They are trying to simplify the process to 2 simple steps; 1. travel with a negative test result within 5 days of arrival, 2. take a 2nd rapid antigen test ($50) at arrival port.

Hopefully we'll see an official release soon instead of a casual comment in a radio interview.

If you show up with an eMed test and they don't accept it I don't think it will be an issue. You are demonstrating you tested in good faith and they are retesting you anyway. Don't stress about that. Also, my BinaxNow eMed test was accepted yesterday in the portal and will be inspected on Saturday. I will update if there's an issue.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264208
09/22/2021 12:19 PM
09/22/2021 12:19 PM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Time Will Tell Online content
Traveler
Time Will Tell  Online Content
Traveler
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Now if they would just allow the ferries to run full schedules....! lol


Peter
s/y Time Will Tell (2019 Lagoon 42)
peter@syTimeWillTell.com

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264212
09/22/2021 12:51 PM
09/22/2021 12:51 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,647
Memphis, BVI, CT
R
RatmansWife Offline
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RatmansWife  Offline
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R
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,647
Memphis, BVI, CT
Last time we went to a clinic around the corner and got a PCR test for $50. We will do the same this time. It comes from a large, certified lab which I know is accepted. Why mess around with a self test kit to save a few bucks, but worry about it being accepted?

For returning to the US, a self-test kit is great because of the hassle of getting to Tortola to be tested within the three-day window.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: RatmansWife] #264222
09/22/2021 02:21 PM
09/22/2021 02:21 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Online content
Traveler
caribbeangirl13  Online Content
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
[quote=RatmansWife]Last time we went to a clinic around the corner and got a PCR test for $50. We will do the same this time. It comes from a large, certified lab which I know is accepted. Why mess around with a self test kit to save a few bucks, but worry about it being accepted?

Because I live in a small mountain town in Colorado and our turn around rate is not great for tests. We have to drive 2 hours to Denver to get a test done that meets all the BVI requirements.


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

[Linked Image]
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264229
09/22/2021 03:36 PM
09/22/2021 03:36 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 886
Louisville, KY
NoelHall Offline
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NoelHall  Offline
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 886
Louisville, KY
Have you checked with Walgreens in Avon? Our folks have been using CVS and Walgreens in our home states for rapid antigen tests, and when the results are posted (usually within a few hours) we save a screen shot on our phones and print a hard copy.


Noel Hall
"It is humbling indeed, to discover my own opinion is only correct less than 50% of the time."

www.noelhall.com
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: NoelHall] #264247
09/22/2021 08:49 PM
09/22/2021 08:49 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Online content
Traveler
caribbeangirl13  Online Content
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
Yes. They don't do the rapid up here at our Walgreens and the PCR they say (last time I checked) could take anywhere from 3-5 days. I will check again, though. For our last trip we had to go to National Jewish in Denver in order to meet all the criteria.


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

[Linked Image]
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264250
09/22/2021 10:00 PM
09/22/2021 10:00 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,647
Memphis, BVI, CT
R
RatmansWife Offline
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RatmansWife  Offline
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R
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,647
Memphis, BVI, CT
It's worth asking around. The place we go is owned and run by a nurse practitioner. The bulk of their business seems to be giving hormone replacement shots to older men. The lab work is sent out, but certainly not as far away as it sounds you are. We could go to a big hospital, but this is very convenient and the woman who runs it will track down delayed results.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264251
09/22/2021 10:45 PM
09/22/2021 10:45 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Online content
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MrEZgoin  Online Content
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
We have an early November trip planned and are also excited at this news!


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264253
09/23/2021 07:09 AM
09/23/2021 07:09 AM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
Zanshin Online content
Traveler
Zanshin  Online Content
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
In addition to the new BVI entry rules, the USA will start allowing Europeans to transit via US airports in November, something that hasn't been possible for the past year and half. That opens up several more possibilities for getting to the BVI.


[Linked Image]
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264254
09/23/2021 07:23 AM
09/23/2021 07:23 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Online content OP
Traveler
GeorgeC1  Online Content OP
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
Anything official out yet on the new policy?

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264259
09/23/2021 10:57 AM
09/23/2021 10:57 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,451
Finger Lake Region
crmoores Offline
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crmoores  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,451
Finger Lake Region
So the release said that fully vaccinated cruise ship pax would need to show a negative test no older than 5 days, and take an antigen test as they disembark?


"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”
-Anthony Bourdain
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264260
09/23/2021 11:03 AM
09/23/2021 11:03 AM
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 68
Tortola, BVI
picaflores Offline
Traveler
picaflores  Offline
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 68
Tortola, BVI
I emailed Henrietta Alexandre, who deals with the portal at the Environmental Health Division, asking if this had been made official yet.
She replied that it hasn't, and to wait until it has been gazetted before planning travel accordingly....

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264261
09/23/2021 11:16 AM
09/23/2021 11:16 AM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 17,029
Tortola/ Sonoma, California
Manpot Online crying
Traveler
Manpot  Online Crying
Traveler
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 17,029
Tortola/ Sonoma, California
Got to believe its true..please! I have to chortle..no more portal for this happy mortal.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264288
09/23/2021 04:15 PM
09/23/2021 04:15 PM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 979
Northern Virginia
ecm56 Offline
Traveler
ecm56  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 979
Northern Virginia
Nothing yet
in the official gazette.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: caribbeangirl13] #264462
09/27/2021 12:20 AM
09/27/2021 12:20 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 167
CO/WI/IL, USA
BVIAddict Offline
Traveler
BVIAddict  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 167
CO/WI/IL, USA
Have you tried in Avon? My son gets tested there all the time and we usually get results in hours.

Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: BVIAddict] #264484
09/27/2021 12:13 PM
09/27/2021 12:13 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Online content
Traveler
caribbeangirl13  Online Content
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
Originally Posted by BVIAddict
Have you tried in Avon? My son gets tested there all the time and we usually get results in hours.


The Walgreens in Avon is not a testing site. They are too understaffed.

Good news is that Colorado Mountain Medical now has a CLIA approved lab and since the BVI is now accepting rapid antigen testing I can go there.


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

[Linked Image]
Re: New Entry Rules! [Re: GeorgeC1] #264487
09/27/2021 12:32 PM
09/27/2021 12:32 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Online content OP
Traveler
GeorgeC1  Online Content OP
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
Pulled the Trigger without officially seeing the new rules. Will be down 27 Nov to 5 Dec. Badly need another BVI fix and some diving and sailing.
G


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