Visitors elsewhere from the Caribbean not discouraged, but travellers must present a negative PCR test current within the last five days and observe a 14-day quarantine

St Lucia has made adjustments to its ‘Caribbean travel bubble’, choosing to include 11 smaller island neighbours as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic worsens in larger countries.

Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, in a statement on Tuesday (May 4), said while the risk remains high due to new, more infective COVID-19 variants, the amendments were implemented in keeping with border reopening recommendations by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The 11 Caribbean countries and territories that form part of the St Lucian travel bubble, effective Monday, May 3, are namely: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as Turks and Caicos Islands.

“ALL persons from outside of this updated ‘Caribbean Bubble’ will be required to present with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result 5 days prior to travel AND complete a mandatory 14 days of quarantine,” Chastanet declared.

With active cases still worryingly high, fellow CARICOM member states Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Belize, and Suriname were not included. No French and Dutch Caribbean were listed either.

In the meantime, all incoming passengers to St Lucia, including persons from the Caribbean bubble, should present with a negative COVID-19 PCR test 5 days before travel.

Additionally, non-national arriving passengers from destinations outside the ‘bubble’ will be allocated at a COVID-19 approved accommodation site.

All arriving passengers from the 11 bubble destinations will, however, be exempt from the 14 days of quarantine if they present a negative COVID-19 PCR test 5 days prior to travel.

Arriving bubble passengers must have travelled directly (been in-transit for less than 24 hours) from a country within the bubble and have been in that country for at least 21 days.

If passengers have been in transit in a country outside the ‘bubble’, they will be subjected to a mandatory, two-week quarantine upon arrival to St Lucia.

All returning nationals from destinations outside the ‘bubble’ will be subject to 14 days of quarantine.