The Caribbean island of Grenada has become the latest worldwide destination to restrict access to the country to only those who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The news is bound to affect travelers eying up a tropical Caribbean getaway this summer and those planning to go away on a cruise.
Long marketed at The Spice of the Caribbean, prior to the pandemic Grenada would welcome in excess of 500,000 visitors per year, a number that had shown a consistent rise – though this latest development is bound to hamper the island’s efforts to restart tourism once more. Here’s a closer look at all the restrictions that travelers need to be aware of before visiting the country.
Covid-19 in Grenada – What Travelers Should Know
With the domino-like effect of countries heightening their restrictions in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19 well underway around the world, travelers will be relieved to hear that Grenada’s recent entry restriction updates are proactive, rather than reactive, with the situation on the island still showing low case numbers. The country has only reported a total of 3 new cases in the past month, putting their total pandemic figures up to 164 cases, recording only one death.
The CDC’s classification of Grenada reflects its low case figures, with the country currently sitting at the CDC’s lowest Covid-19 threat level, Level 1. The State Department’s travel advisory for the country is also at its lowest level – Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Whilst travelers should always be on alert for potential issues when abroad, the facts and figures suggest that Covid-19 should not be an immediate concern for travelers heading to Grenada.
Grenada’s New Restriction – Information For Travelers
In the past week, Grenada has updated its entry restrictions for overseas travelers, and the new restrictions have already gone into effect in the country. As of yesterday, the country has decided to only permit vaccinated travelers to enter the country. Travelers must be fully vaccinated with a vaccine that has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO); such vaccines are Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
The new vaccination restrictions will apply to both travelers who are arriving via air and to those arriving by sea. There are very few exemptions to the rule – currently, the only travelers exempt from the vaccination rule are citizens, residents, people younger than 13, diplomats and members of airline crews that are in Grenada on a layover.
Mandatory vaccination is only one hoop that travelers need to jump through in order to be able to visit the country. Travelers must also ensure that they book approved accommodation for a minimum period of two nights, before applying for travel authorization. On top of this, they must also take an RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure. Once at the airport, travelers must show their Travel Authorization Certificate and negative RT-PCR test prior to boarding, before showing their proof of vaccination and negative test result once more upon arrival.
Once they have landed, travelers will be subjected to a further PCR test. Results will be given 48 hours later – if it’s negative, travelers will be free to enjoy all that the Spice Isles have to offer once cleared by the Ministry of Health.
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