Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced it has exempt 28 islands from conducting PCR tests on travellers after 90% of the eligible island residents completed COVID-19 vaccinations.
HPA stated islands will be exempt from conducting PCR tests on incoming travellers after 90% vaccine coverage have been achieved for island residents above 12 years of age as well as residents above 65 years of age. Other requirements include achieving a 95% of vaccine coverage for tourism workers in the islands. 28 islands have met the requirements so far, stated HPA.
Travellers who have received both doses of vaccines 14 days prior are allowed to travel to islands that have the required rate of vaccine coverage, according to HPA regulations.
Travellers who are leaving from islands that have a weekly COVID-19 positivity rate of 5% and below are not required to undergo quarantine or PCR testing. However, travellers leaving from islands that have a positivity rate of over 5% will only be allowed to travel after receiving a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours. Travellers who have not completed their vaccine doses are required to undergo 14 days of quarantine and take a PCR test prior to their release.
HPA stated travellers are liable to incur the cost of PCR testing from September 2 onwards.