The Ministry of Health says that only arriving passengers considered to be of “higher risk” of being COVID-19 positive will have a nasopharyngeal swab taken for COVID-19 testing.
The ministry, in a press statement, on Saturday, said that its “strategic testing will be piloted again” today, Oct. 2, for travellers arriving in St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Argyle International Airport.
Travellers categorised as higher risk include those who are not fully vaccinated or have been granted approval for working quarantine.
“Further testing at the TA/MOHWE (Tourism Authority/Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment) approved transition accommodations during the assigned quarantine period will be at the discretion of the Port Health team.
The ministry said that fully-vaccinated travellers quarantined for 48 hours in a TA/MOHWE approved transition accommodation will be released when their flight has been cleared.
The policy comes although as fully-vaccinated people can still contract and spread the COVID-19 virus, which has claimed 14 lives in SVG since Sept. 9, to bring the total to 26.
In July, a fully vaccinated traveller to SVG became the first person in the country to test positive for the more deadly Delta variant.
The variant was detected in two other vaccinated travellers to the country before the first local case was diagnosed.
In its statement on Saturday, the ministry said that travellers who are not fully vaccinated will remain quarantined for the required seven or 14 days, and released following additional testing.
The ministry said it would continue to update the public regarding any adjustments to the entry protocol.
Fully vaccinated persons who arrive with a negative PCR test,should be allowed to quarantine at home if they live alone.
Are they burning pillows between each new client, because there is no way of sterilizing them and they are packed with virus and bacteria. If a second person uses the same pillow as the previous person they will catch everthing the first one was infected with. If you want to become ill stay somewhere in quarantine. Or stay in a hospital if you really want to get infected.
Another jackass move. allowing unvaccinated or half vaccinated people in. The quaranteen business is just a business for profit. The whole strategy is flawed, like mopping up with the fawcet running.