Guidelines for Belongers, Residents & Naturalized Citizens to re-enter the BVI

https://bvi.gov.vg/controlled-re-en...5xHJ2aarmQYq4EfxdmrYFmjqUAQICs_a5stw51DM

Looks like everyone is subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Yes, and starting June 2 they will have to have a suitable unoccupied place. Later in June the government will pay for quarantine at an approved lodging.

Still no word on property owners, whose houses sit empty.

Supposedly they are going to give more detail on this -- which is "Phase 2" of the plan on May 28th. Hopefully we will get a bit more details then!

If this is the plan for tourists on September 2, there will not be a huge turnout.
Guess I may have to change my plans for October/November and the Catfight.

KF Quinn

I wouldn't worry about it yet. As SusanZ said, more details on Thursday. No definite date has been given for tourists yet (and I doubt there will be on Thursday either). There was a mention of September 1 in a speech over a month ago but so far the only actual legislation has been June 2 for certain categories of travelers and it also included entry only to the airport. These decisions are in constant movement here so anything mentioned a month ago is likely changing.

I suspect that the BVI will watch other Caribbean nations as they open to tourist travel next week and make a final decision than.

Sorry, but I think we're all just going to have to be patient.

Hi Jason - agree, patience the watch word theses days - Having the belongers and residents come back now is manageable and having those that don't show symptoms self isolate or in quarantine is a sound practice. Better to have a clean base to start with before tourists.

I self quarantined in the BVI for almost 3 months. I returned to Vero Beach Florida about 1 week ago. So far the covid situation in Florida is fairly simple.. Most folks are wearing masks when they go into stores. No one is wearing outdoors. My personal opinion is the virus dies quickly when in the sun and outdoors and thrives indoors especially if the air in a room is constantly recirculated. I believe that within 2 months this whole covid situation will be over and life can go on. However when and if vaccination is available I will be the first in line.
Regarding the BVI's I understand their situation, but the reality is almost no covid 19 in the BVI. The media has completely driven fear into the hearts of folks thru out the world.Civid 19 is/was a disaster for cities but not elsewhere. It is time to put this behind us and move on. It is also time to determine where this came from and how it got distributed thruout the world.
I also believe the USA will rebound very quickly. Not everyone will have a quick rebound and get jobs but we have to move on. Otherwise it's lights out.

"It is also time to determine where this came from and how it got distributed thruout the world."

I think that answer is pretty obvious.

What will happen when we are sure of source and distribution?

Please re-read the note regarding conspiracy theories, etc. Further posts on this vein will be deleted.

So, last nights announcement did not mention tourism from what I can see on the transcript. Did anyone hear anything about tourist returns?

No, it was about phase 2 of the Economic Response plan (sort of)….

Personal opinions and beliefs have no bearing on how this will play out. I follow the science. I think the BVI is doing the right thing for their people.

Science doesn't know how this will play out either.

You’re right, they’re learning as they go, but from the start they’ve had a pretty good idea what not to do. It’s a novel virus, but the same preventive measures that work with other viruses apply to this one.

Jason,

I thought Tourism might be a part of that... guess we will just have to wait and see. My July trip is now November, but I am worried about that happening. Would like to get down and contribute to the economy

Can't wait to move across borders but also going to be cautious. Can't wait for a vaccine. Completely dead in the normal tourist areas here in Orlando. It will be a very slow recovery.

My little island of Anna Maria here in Florida is JAMMING with tourists. You would never know this virus ever happened - license plates from ALL OVER. It's just incredible.

Outer Banks NC is jamming as well...and I keep getting calls with people wanting to find houses and come down and "get away" from DC....

Hopefully BVIs will be like that sooner rather than later

People here seem to be in no hurry to be infected by tourists. Our last active case has recovered and most people are more interested in staying safe. Most are using masks in public. I'd say most have written this season off and hope to welcome guests back in October/November.

I'm guessing we'll learn a lot over the next month as the borders open for Belongers.

I think they'll learn a lot from watching the states. The only good sign I can see given the opening of states and lack of requiring of masks and lack of social distancing we're seeing is that so far it seems like the increase in cases isn't leading to an increase in hospitalizations.

From what I see now, I am ready to write off the entire 2021 season. From the moment that the BVI will allow tourists in without a quarantine, then folks will start to think about coming down. Right now most folks are concerned about riots and lack of jobs/loss of income. Sad, hope I am wrong but recovery will be slow in the bVI. I am thinking that folks in the USA will travel by car for vacations in 2021 and after that will start to think about traveling by air.
I have a big investment in the BVI but I am trying to be realistic about income in 2021

That is great news on the cases also great news on most wearing masks...I wish the masks were as prevalent in OBX as they are in DC or BVI. I really dont know how you open the islands up until there is a vaccine since there is nothing close to herd immunity there and no way to go anywhere besides the BVI hospital for treatment....

We are hoping to go to Anegada in November. But just in case, we are searching for villas on St John. We would prefer Anegada as the majority of our "vacation gear" is already on Anegada! Dean & Henny have stored our gear for the last few years. Who would have guessed that could have been a problem? But we are still hopeful for November. That should be plenty of time for things to return to normal. I hope. Thanks Jason for the updates. Very helpful.

Personally, I think you'll be fine in November. We are booking guests at Coconut Breeze Villas for November so I sure hope so...

The State of Alaska will be requiring a negative Covid test within 72 hours of boarding an Alaska-bound flight. Travelers who can't produce proof that they've had a recent test and that the results were negative will be given the choice of taking a test a the terminal or beginning a 14-day quarantine.

Hawaii is mulling requiring the same for a return to travel to the state. Perhaps this will be the new normal for travel??

https://www.ktoo.org/2020/05/29/wat...-state-travel-quarantine-health-mandate/

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/...uire-quarantine-visitors-who-get-tested/

Looks like proof of a negative Covid test is what the other parts of the Caribbean are doing as well....

https://www.timeout.com/usa/news/st-lucia-aruba-and-antigua-will-reopen-to-tourists-in-june-052120

Thanks for that link.

All nice and dandy bit they’re planning on using a machine that detects if you temperature is above 98.6F. They’ll quarantine you even though there can be a thousand reasons besides COVET 19 that a person can run a fever.


enough with the editorial comments

Currently there is an initial temperature scan after deplaning and then 30 minutes later a second scan to allow your body temperature to regulate.

Interesting. That's a nice PITA for people to have to go through, especially the second time around..

This is a very precarious time for the BVI. They simply cannot afford to stay shutdown or make tourism so onerous no one will visit. There has to be a plan that allows tourists to enter without major inconvenience. Or they will not come. The loss of the cruise ship revenue, the financial services cutbacks and now the yachts could put the BVI into bankruptcy at a time the UK can’t afford to or will not choose to bail them out. The $7 million squandered on airline and the millions spent on studies to expand the airport would be very handy right now. I was one of the first back after Irma bringing relief supplies as soon as it was open for nonbelongers. We showed up from STT in a chartered boat full of relief supplies including generators. We were greeted with snobby attitudes including one of our group being directed to take off his sunglasses. At one point it looked liked we were going to be denied entry. It took 90 minutes to clear 8 people and we were the only ones at CI.

To all who may be considering travel to the BVI once the tourists are permitted be ready for total confusion and a complete lack of respect from CI. I love sailing the BVI but I am not going back until they have it together. And that will not be anytime this year or maybe next.

I would think the second scan is only if the first reads high. If first scan is good, there would be no need to do it again.

Yep, and a temperature scan is really not so difficult for anyone. Not nearly as difficult as the guarded 14-21 day quarantine.

By the time tourists are allowed back in, I think it will be back to the normal "snobby" CI attitude everyone loves. Maybe an added temp check and health/travel history survey but otherwise normal. However, I think that may be October now.

To be fair, I've never found Immigration or Customs officers to be overly welcoming in any country. It's not really there job as border protection agents.

OK, that makes sense, only if the first one is high. I was thinking about the long lines to do it, but I forgot that the BVI only can accept small planes. But the lines on the ferry would be a pain though.

And when I check the arrival history for EIS it looks like only 1 plane landed yesterday; possibly 2 but VI Airlink doesn't always update arrival information.

BVI should at least come up with a plan as most of the other Caribbean vacation spots are....

https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav...amas-more-reopen-coronavirus/3139225001/

BVI risks people going elsewhere down there and not coming back to the BVIs. We had the "Sandy Effect" in the Outer Banks OBX where after hurricane Sandy hit NY people started coming to OBX and still do long after the recovery.

I don't mind doing a temperature check but dont want to plan something down there only to have 1 of my crew not be able to get on the boat because they have a fever for some other reason.

Its hard for me to see a scenario where chartering opens up in 2020...

The section in that story regarding St. Maarten/St. Martin is somewhat mis-leading, as it seems to imply that the island will be opening up to all on July 1, although it says 'as soon as' July 1. SXM COULD still open to tourists on July 1, but I kind of doubt it. The hotels mentioned will ONLY open on July 1 if the government gives the ok to open, which they have not done yet. With that in mind, I wouldn't depend on any of the information in that article, unless one verifies it personally.

I think would everyone would agree that a negative test (itself not 100% accurate) would be a better indicator than the temperature check, but it requires a lot more effort on the part of the person travelling.

Jason... I have once seen a BVI customs official smile. It was while he was saying to me... Oh boy are you in trouble now! He was really smiling then. I'd parked up in Little Apple Bay after coming back from St Martin. Mal said he'd take me round in The Thing rather than me have to move Jeannius. A $500 mistake as it turned out but that wasn't too bad as first of all he said it could be up to $5000.

Our experiences have been great, but we’re just coming in on the ferry...

500 dollars to ride in the Thing! What a bargain!

Since it sounds like it was Mal's idea, I would have asked for a contribution toward the fine!

It was worth it just to have the memories. Makes me smile every time I think about it. It wasn't quite so amusing at the time though! Just as well they didn't know I'd actually arrived from St Martin the evening before and gone to Brandywine for dinner before heading round to Little Apple Bay

Great story!!

Mike..dinner at The Sugar Mill on me to make up for that serious mistake on my part..of course we'll drive in Da Ting..

Nothing to make up for Mal. it was my own fault for not thinking quickly enough when asked where the boat was. Although it was probably your fault for providing too many Red Stripes and causing my brain fade