May 15th BVI Changes for Vaccine - Children

Pertaining to the new May 15th Requirements

Anyone know if a group that has children under 18 are still required to do the longer quarantine period even though the adults have been vaccinated? I know one of the four vaccines is for ages 16 and above. The question pertains to whether the BVI government is allowing children (<18 yrs of age) to do the shorter quarantine (similar to vaccinated adults) assuming they have tested negative for the pre-departure test and Day (0) test.

There are several requests into the government for clarification. The answer "soon come" but we know how that goes...

Under 5 years of age should be fine because they are already not tested in the current protocols. Ages 5-18 are the big question. Hopefully we get an answer soon! Lots of people asking.

We are in the same boat, we have a trip next month and have a 12 year old. We are fully vaccinated but obviously at 12 she is not. I assume they will release information about 5 days before the change.

We are trying to schedule our daughter for the shot on the first day it is allowed and with Pfizer you can technically have as little as 17 days between shots per scheduling guidance (21 is stnd) . So the potential window for first shot is about 4 and a half weeks before travel.

The BVI Tourist Board was told by the minister that they would get an official update today as to changes to the portal, fees and more details about protocols for 15 May.

That would be nice. Please post here if there are changes to the official website.

Thursday is a popular day for live updates from Hon. Malone. I'd expect to see something on FB Live this evening.

Also waiting for the portal fee for those who are vaccinated.

I tried to get ahead of things and filled out the applications over a month ago for our trip in June. I do not recommend doing this. I paid the 175 for 6 people. : / Maybe they will give me a pat on the back when i arrive. lol I do not expect a refund. The reason i do not recommend filling them out early is because the folks on the whatsapp and email will not help you make changes or edit the application until closer to time of your trip.

i talked with 1 of the ladies that guides people through the portal and she said do it all at once...they prioritize by trip

People staying at their own house MUST begin the portal no fewer than seven days before arrival or they will not be approved. This allows time for the home to be inspected, even if it has been previously inspected and approved.

Unless they were already gold seal approved.

Updated protocols about to be announced by government.

Live update now

Interesting that they added a Day 4 test requirement for kids, but at least they are released - though he did say something about a bubble - after the Day 0 test results. The Day 7 test for the day trip people from the BVI was an unexpected twist!

Progress, at least!

Quick summary of protocols for vaccinated travelers
- still request travel approval thru the Gateway
- PCR test still required 5-3 days prior to arrival
- fee reduced to $105
- released from quarantine after receiving negative Day 0 test results
- children 5-17 may travel unvaccinated with their vaccinated parents. Will follow the same protocol but additional Day 4 test required

Groups that have a combination of vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers must all quarantine for 7 days

Some additional changes:
- Travel ban only for India and Brazil now
- Unvaccinated travelers quarantine increased to 7 days
- Partially vaccinated travelers quarantine for 4 days

thanks for great update, Jason

Thanks for the good note taking Jason! While there is no mention of it, sounds like trackers have gone away. I wonder if the insurance requirements are the same.

7 day test for BVI day trips is not something new, it was announced when they laid out the May 15th date weeks ago.

The 7 day quarantine now that is somethng new and is probably due to the recent surge in cases found at the 4 day test.

Its good that the UK is now off the naughty list

I would assume the insurance is the same but no clear mention.

I'm curious about the trackers too. It was not mentioned and they don't really seem to work anyway but the fee implies they will still be around. The fee breakdown currently is $70 for each of the 2 tests and $35 for the rental of the tracker. The fee was reduced by $70, the cost of 1 test so I'm not sure what's happening.

Hopefully, the written announcement will clarify.

No mention of arrival quotas, do we assume that it's still limited to 50 by ferry and 120 by air?

What about transportation to your location until you get the day zero test results back.....how would we get to our villa on VG?

Thank you for the update Jason! We are traveling with my 12 year old and have been eagerly awaiting this update. Question for whoever might know- can she get her day 4 test on Anegada? We were planning on being there on our Days 4 and 5.

I have been hard on the BVI but I think this is a reasonable compromise for unvaccinated children.

If you are chartering, I'd check with you charter company. So far, they have required charter guests to take the day 4 test on Tortola. They recently started allowing at least Moorings guest to go back to the base but most boats go to Nanny Cay.

Anegada land-stay people can do their Day 4 test on Anegada but only on ferry days or days there happens to be a flight. That means sometimes people are waiting until day 5 to take their test.

Agree...the only thing I wish they did MUCH better is communicate the details of the process and simplify the process. There are 2 ladies in the BVI that are carrying most of load getting people through the portal.

But this time they did signal a change in advance and follow up with some clarity before the deadline for implementation

Trackers will still be issued for the Day zero testing

Thanks Jason. I will check in with BVI Yacht Charters.

Thank you, Jason, for the timeliness of your regular updates. It is extremely helpful for those of us trying to navigate charters in the next few weeks.

Thanks, Jason. Has anyone seen the GS water taxi rate sheet to outer islands?

New rules were published this morning. Unvaccinated children no longer need to quarantine, but instead take a day four test.

What is the difference between “Staying in the family bubble” vs quarantine for the groups with unvaccinated children?

Here is the formal release in writing.

It's pretty vague but I think it's intended to mean the children need to stay with their parents/guardians. Don't send kids to camps, day cares, schools, etc until the Day 4 test results prove negative.

Trying to read this but it looks like a negative test is still required even if you are fully vaxxed..right?

The recent announcement indicates that a mix of vaccinated crew (that’s us) and non-vaccinated (our friends from Italy) must quarantine for 7 days! How is it possible to provision for a week with no freezer and limited storage for 28 gallons of drinking water on a 41 foot boat? And no refueling or taking on water? This is getting ridiculous. Is anyone within the charter industry raising objections? Like allowing vaccinated individuals to get off the boat?

You can have provisions delivered to Nanny Cay docks and they will also let you take on water. I'm guessing you can do the same at your charter base.

Thanks Jason. We use Horizon out of Nanny Cay, so that's good. So you are saying that in addition to the initial provisioning, we can return for replenishment?
Also, I think I have seen reference to day 4 testing (now day 7?) at Nanny Cay. Is that accurate?

Malcolm, two negative tests: one up to five days ahead of arrival and uploaded to portal; second one on arrival. Then another one before you re-enter the US.

I would check with your charter company about returning to pickup provisions to know for sure.

Yes, most people go to Nanny Cay for Day 4(7) testing.

When does the new 7 day quarantine go into effect? Dies it effect people on a boat now? Could be a bunch of canceled boat and Villa bookings.

15 May.

As of 15 May, no more Day 4 testing for fully vax'd crew.

Bringing this back to children discussion.

***Do we know where(location) the kids need tested on day 4? Besides the fact that having kids retested on day 4 doesn't make much sense.

***Those of you that may have travelled to BVI recently
1. are the tests self administered or does someone else swab your nose?
2. are they doing just the end of the nose or a deeper nasal swab?

***Do you have to pay $105 for children too?

***After day 0 tests are negative are you allowed to visit places on shore etc before children tested on day 4?

Thanks!

I believe the kids will be tested at the same clinic as the adults.

We got our day four tests at the clinic on Anegada on April 19th and there were two families with a total of three children who were being tested at the same time. They did a throat swab for the children but it was administered by the clinic staff - not Do-It-Yourself. It did not appear to be a comfortable experience. The nasopharyngeal (very deep) swabbing the adults received was universally described as the deepest and most uncomfortable that any of us had experienced (and we had all had numerous tests). If the medical technician who is going to do your tests is named Weeks, run away. We were told he was a temporary and had moved to Virgin Gorda a week after our tests.

We got tested on VG....it was not Weeks, but a female and she was as bad as Weeks sounds...I grabbed her leg when she was doing it. There was nothing else to grab....horrible experience. Worst I had out of the 4 done by far....it was our test before going home...

Thanks so far and I appreciate the input. My kids are young and they love to go sailing, live on the boat, play on the beach, etc, but not really old enough to make a rational decision re testing discomfort vs benefit. As much as I love to visit the islands I'm not choosing for them to have potentially deep nasopharyngeal/throat swabbing done at my decision. I know it's covid and testing required so for now we will stick with the USVI and testing stateside once vs 2 additional tests in the BVI.

The tests are done at the clinic then sent to Pebbles for processing - count on late the day after for results - tests are done at 10 am

A friend just had their day zero tests done at the airport. It took 65 hours to get the result. He has had 50 plus covid tests with many in China. He described the BVI test as the worst by a big margin! Perhaps they need more training.

Update from the Moorings, charters starting 14 May or earlier will have the entire trip under the old protocols. Charters 15 May or later will be under the new protocol. If you have a charter starting 15 or 16 May I would see about moving it up to 14 May if you have unvaccinated travelers. The opposite would apply if starting 13 or 14 May and everyone is fully vaccinated.

Indeed this doesn’t make a lot of sense from a disease control standpoint or the logistics of handling.

On the one hand they are allowing more freedom of movement sooner for vaccinated individuals. That’s good.. it was imperative to do it if they were going to have any sort of tourist season and not have the charter and land based businesses suffer even more harm.

Yet they require testing before entry and testing at entry for vaccinated tourists. Okay but they are allowing vaccinated passengers off cruise ships with no prior testing to wander around immediately. Cruise ship passengers that have been mingling in closed spaces with passengers and crew from everywhere. They will be visiting several islands before getting to the bvi. Taken together this makes no sense.

The other problem is testing. With very few people coming in, testing times are unpredictable and mostly slower than promised. I’m sure people relying on this latest plan, will be making reservations for boats and villas for the summer. However the government seems to make decisions on the fly without considering details. There is obviously a lack of testing capacity or trained people to perform these tests. From the reports of poor technique in obtaining specimens above, I suspect the lab is not what you would see in most medical facilities testing on a large scale. I worry If you triple the incoming tests, if they stick with pcr testing they will get far behind in having results and sloppy in running tests. The health minister talked about moving to rapid tests. IMO they will have to for this to succeed.

This would be a disaster otherwise. It will possibly impact getting the test run for return to the us.Also changing the quarantine from 4 to 7 when people have booked vacations ahead of time seems arbitrary with short lead time if there are areas where they cannot be vaccinated or any reason they cannot.. In addition many people I am sure will be unaware of the change.

What makes sense to me is to allow vaccinated visitors with a negative test access without further testing until that necessary to leave if still in place. Children traveling with vaccinated travelers tested before travel and on arrival ..no further testing.

The bvi is going to have some Covid cases . With thousands of cruise ship passengers every week off a congregate facility is a much bigger problem. They should then save the testing for unvaccinated adults and testing and tracing of the cases that will be bound to happen in the population that is less than 50% vaccinated. Look for some snafus.

I cant believe they are changing 4 to 7 for unvaccinated yet letting unvaccinated teenagers in as long as they stay in the "family bubble"...

Your points are well taken. I have chartered in the BVI more than 50 years, but my vaccinated crew and I will be in the USVI later this month. Hard to believe that despite all of us being vaccinated and getting favorable antibody tests to enter the USVI, we cannot sail into the BVI. St John here we come!

Well I heard a blurb on CNBC that US is going to start accepting self administered quick tests for re entry. They will be monitored by a telehealth provider that has been authorized. I have no idea but this really helps change the game. One of my fears with increased testing and possible delays in their lab system was that the three day test at the end might be a problem getting results and a source of angst. No details were given or timeline.

With this change if goes smoothly it won’t require anything but an internet feed. And I strongly suspect the bvi will be going to quick tests before too long.

CDC update May 7th 2021

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

thanks...that helps clarify the 3 day rule vs 72 hours. We can have our exit test at Jost on Friday AM 900 and it be good for noon Monday EIS-SJU

Does anyone know if required day 4 testing for unvaccinated children can be done at any of the testing locations (Spanish Town, Jost, Tortola), or is it required to be done on Tortola via Nanny Cay as was the case prior to 5/15?

Will, I read something about the new CDC allowed self administered tests as well. But got me wondering how it would work? A friend did one to get approved for Maui a few months ago. She got online with a nurse who watched the family get the samples and then my friend sent these via FedEx to the lab. Results were quick via email.

However if we are in the BVI how would we get the the test samples to a lab? Which lab? In the US? STT? PR? Is there an overnight delivery company in BVI to get the samples anywhere fast?

Sunnykm ~ Great questions! Thanks for asking what has been rambling around my head

I regularly fedex items to the US. We also have UPS.

“Fast” and “BVI” may never be used in the same sentence. Repetitive use will cause internet to crash.

Jason - what are costs to FedEx from BVI? I just had a quote to send docs from MI to Tortola and it was $105!!! I would not bank (literally) on sending self administered tests for exit approval/US reentry and you would need to find a pick-up location. We tested for exit on JVD and it was fast efficient and friendly.

I emailed BVI Yacht Charters and asked this question, as our plan is to be on Anegada for Days 4-5. They said it would be fine for my daughter to get her Day 4 test there.

Try to test in the early morning a day the ferry is running - the lab is in Tortola and I understand that all samples must be transported there.

As I understood the piece they were using the at home rapid tests now available and monitoring by a tele health group. You did the rapid test, they certified their monitoring and you got some sort of certification. It was just a blip th3y read before an interview with Gottleib. I tried googling and have found nothing about it, I’ve sent a number of things to bvi via fedex, never reverse., I don’t think that would work as far as easing stress.

FedEx works fine, both ways, but it's not cheap. Economy usually costs more than Priority.

I sent some documents last week and it was $79.

Keep in mind you can only test in Anegada on days there is a morning ferry (Monday, Wednesday, or Friday) or a known flight. If your Day 4 is Saturday, you'll have to wait until Day 6 to take her test.

Thanks Jason, that's good info. Our Day 4 is a Wednesday!

There are now tests you can process at home. They do not require mailing them to a lab. To meet CDC requirements the test has to be supervised through a remote session (like Zoom) and the provider must generate the report of the results (which they email to you).

Indeed that’s what I heard. Do you know who is providing this service. Is it set up via prescription of physicians? How does one sign up? I can’t find it.

Some googling took me to reviews for three anywhere tests with results in minutes. Can be purchased at CVS drugstores and their website.

Pretty cool! MIT Technology Review website discusses the three that are available. https://www.technologyreview.com/20...-review-accuracy-binaxnow-lucira-ellume/

The MIT Technology Review article is excellent. It describes the limitations and possible issues with the tests and compares three of them. I don't know if the three tests reviewed meet the CDC Guidelines. The reviewer does not mention the on-line supervision aspect, which seems to be a critical component required for the CDC acceptance. It's possible that a provider could do that with one of these kits but I don't have any sources (yet).

The Lucira test (which has an associated app) will send you a report of your results.

Here is the entry from their FAQ:

"How does LUCI PASS work for travel?

Lucira is a high performing PCR quality molecular test, equivalent to other tests accepted by most travel destinations. LUCI PASS has also been designed to help you use it for travel.Your LUCI PASS will display:·

Your verified test result, including the date and time of your test results·
Information regarding Lucira’s accuracy, clinical performance and ability to detect Covid variants·
A link to the FDA website that displays Lucira’s FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)
While we believe Lucira’s test should be acceptable for most travel, It is important to check with your airline and/or travel destination for further details and restrictions, as this may vary from destination to destination.

Note that Lucira is not yet approved for travel to the State of Hawaii. We hope to be soon."

$55 from their website.

Unknown at this moment if this meets the requirements.