The Honourable Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs. Quincia Gumbs-Marie, has announced that as of Sunday, June 20th, all quarantine fees have been discontinued as long as visitors to Anguilla are vaccinated. The announcement came in statements she made during the Government press conference at the Ministry of Finance on Monday, June 21st.
“As we move to our next step toward July 1st,” she stated, “the entry fee process is now being phased out. Now, there will be no more fees for fully vaccinated persons entering the island. Being fully vaccinated means that one would have had their two doses of the vaccine, with their second dose being administered no less than three weeks ago.” She noted that this three weeks lead time for fully vaccinated status is a guideline that has been set and provided by Public Health UK.
“The much anticipated July 1st date is approaching,” she observed. “Many persons are looking toward the freer movement. What does this mean for Anguilla as a whole? It means that we are moving toward a period where we would need no quarantine fees or pre-entry tests.” “This is a major move,” she confirmed, “and we are very excited to step into it.”
However, the Parliamentary Secretary did not stop short of sounding a warning: “There would be certain implications subsequent to July 1st, though. As we know, there would be many persons looking to enter the island on, and just after, July 1st, both as residents and visitors alike. This means that we would be open to a certain level of risk.”
She continued: “Previously, all persons entering the island would have required a test 3 to 5 days prior to their travel date — a test upon arrival, and then they would be tested out of quarantine. For visitors, this is what characterised our ‘bubble’ which was so much talked about. But now these things are going away.”
“A fully vaccinated person can now enter the island, have a negative PCR test upon arrival, and no onward testing…That testing strategy is now out,” she declared.
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
