Fully vaccinated arrivals to SVG may now arrive with a negative COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test result

Fully vaccinated travellers to St Vincent and the Grenadines may now arrive with a negative SARS-Cov-2 Rapid Antigen test taken not more than 24 hours before arrival.

The change to the protocol for arrivals to the country came into effect on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Previously, only a negative result of a SARS-COV-2RT-PCR test done no more than 72 hours before arrival was accepted. Now, both the PCR test taken less than three days before arrival and the Rapid Antigen test taken less than 24 hours before arrival are accepted.

The updated protocol was developed by the Health Services SubCommittee of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and published on March 3.

All arrivals are still required to complete the Pre-Arrival form available at www.health.gov.vc, which will be reviewed for each arriving passenger by the Port Health Officer.

A ‘Fully Vaccinated Traveller” is defined by the protocol as a person who has competed a vaccination regimen with a vaccine recognized by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment of St Vincent and the Grenadines. These are AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Gamalaya (Sputnik V, Sputnik Light, Gam-Covid-Vac), Cuban COVID-19 vaccine (Abdala, Soberana) or Sinovac, Sinopharm; and at least two weeks have passed since the last dose of a two-dose vaccine or the single dose of a one-dose vaccine.

Fully vaccinated travellers who present a negative COVID-19 test on arrival in SVG will not be retested for COVID-19 or be required to undergo mandatory quarantine  unless so determined by the Port Health Officer.

Fully vaccinated travellers who have had a diagnosis of COVID-19 within 10 days of arrival in SVG must apply to coronavirustaskforcesvg@gmail.com for an exemption to enter SVG with a positive SARS.CoV-2 RT-PCR result. They must however arrive with a negative rapid antigen test result from an approved testing site / facility no older than 24 hours (home antigen tests will not be accepted).

The protocol for unvaccinated travellers to SVG remains unchanged.

All unvaccinated arrivals must arrive with a negative SARS-COV-2RT-PCR test done no more than 72 hours before arrival; may be re-tested for SARS.CoV-2 on arrival; and must quarantine in a Tourism Authority / Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) approved accommodation at their own expense. Unvaccinated arrivals must arrive with proof of a fully paid reservation and must transition to the hotel in an approved taxi or vessel. They may also be retested during the period of quarantine. The period of time the unvaccinated arrival will be required to remain in quarantine will depend on the country from which they are arriving and other risk factors. More information may be had from the website of the MOHWE (www.health.gov.vc).

[[ UPDATED at 3:25 pm on Saturday, March 5, 2022 to include the protocols for unvaccinated arrivals.]]