By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. April 6, 2021: Two countries in the Caribbean region now have the honor of boosting of no active COVID-19 cases, latest data show.
The British Caribbean island of Montserrat and Saint Kitts & Nevis are among the only current COVID-19 free destinations in the region.
Montserrat only reported 20 cases since the pandemic began. Nineteen of those have all recovered and one person has died from the virus.
Saint Kitts & Nevis has reported just 44 cases in total and all 44 have recovered. Most importantly, the island had no deaths from the virus.
They join Falklands, Micronesia, The Marshall Islands, Saint Pierre Miquelon and the Faeroe Islands as the only COVID-19 free locations globally and where all the cases have recovered from the virus.
Saint Kitts & Nevis is open to tourists, but they are required to: submit a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result from a CLIA/CDC/UKAS approved lab accredited with ISO/IEO 17025 standard, taken within 72 hours of travel, along with required embarkation form and all other supporting documentation.
A form is required regardless of age. Forms must be submitted no later than 24 hours prior to travel. The country is only COVID-19 PCR tests taken by nasopharyngeal sample and not rapid tests or home tests. All original documentation submitted, including negative COVID-19 test results, must be brought in person and presented upon arrival.
Visit knatravelform.kn to access the form and upload test.
Upon arrival, you will have your temperature checked and asked to answer a series of health screening questions, including health and travel history.
Depending on your length of stay, the additional following guidelines apply: 1-7 days: visitors are free to move about the hotel property, interact with other guests and partake in hotel activities; 8-14 days: visitors will undergo an RT-PCR test (USD 100 Nationals/Residents and USD 150 non-Nationals/non-Residents) on day 7. If the traveler tests negative on day 8, they are allowed, through the hotel’s tour desk, to book select excursions and access select destination sites.
Fourteen days or longer: visitors will need to undergo an RT-PCR test (USD 100 Nationals/Residents and USD 150 non-Nationals/non-Residents) on day 14, and if they test negative the traveler will be allowed to integrate into St. Kitts and Nevis. Masks are required at all time along with social distancing.
For departures, all travelers are required to take an RT-PCR test (USD 150, visitor’s cost) 48 to 72 hours prior to departure.
If positive before departure, the traveler will be required to stay in isolation at their cost, at their respective hotel. If negative, travelers will proceed with departure on their respective date.
Montserrat
At this time, travel to Montserrat is only by air via our international travel gateway, Antigua. Along with the negative COVID-19 Test Results, all persons must still register to travel to Montserrat prior to booking their flights to Montserrat. There is limited allowance for travellers there.
This registration process requires persons to complete and submit the declaration form published on the Government of Montserrat website gov.ms/register-to-travel-to-montserrat/. The form must be completed and submitted no later than three days prior to booking a ticket to enter Montserrat.
All persons arriving on Montserrat will be required to self-quarantine for 14-days If such persons are staying at a residence with other occupants, the host and family may also be required to self-quarantine. Following an assessment, the Ministry of Health & Social Services will make a determination and indicate whether the entire household should also be quarantined.
All persons must wear a mask or face covering on the aircraft, and while being processed at the Airport. Upon arrival in Montserrat, Health Officials will screen passengers before allowing them to proceed through immigration.
The screening process will include officials asking questions regarding one’s travel history, address/place of residence for the last 14 days, accommodation arrangements while on Montserrat and transportation arrangements from the Airport to the home address on Montserrat. Temperature checks will also be conducted.
COUNTRIES WITH ACTIVE CASES
The Dominican Republic continues to lead the region with most cases though 214,512 of its 254,435 cases have recovered. There are now 36,572 active cases with 140 new cases reported yesterday along with 5 new deaths. That has moved the death toll to 3,351.
Cuba for its part reported the most new cases in the Caribbean Monday – a whopping 1,066 to move its total reported case load to 80,610. So far, there are 5,047 active cases, however, as 75,127 have recovered. The death tally is 436.
Jamaica, meanwhile, jumped to 41,013 cases Monday as it added another 350 new cases. The majority – 22,098 – are active cases, while 18,297 have recovered. The country now has 618 deaths, adding three new ones Monday.
Other countries seeing new cases Monday included Curacao which reported 176 new cases to reach 10,066 and 52 deaths while Bermuda, reported 69 new cases to jump to 1,469 as its death toll increase by 2 to 14.
Aruba added 43 new cases to reach 9,681 while Guyana added 26 new cases Monday to increase to 10,606. The South American CARICOM nation also saw its death tally jump by 3 to 246.
Haiti added 15 new cases to reach 12,803 while Trinidad and Tobago added 14 to reach 8,192. Barbados reported 11 new cases as did Suriname, as their total cases rose to 3,679 and 9,174, respectively.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Netherland Antilles added 6 each to reach 1,764 and 1,468 cases, respectively.
