Cabinet has extended the COVID regulations governing travel until the end of next month, according to an update posted on Thursday.
The Control of COVID-19 (Travel) (No. 2) Regulations, 2022 stipulate that travellers arriving in Cayman have to provide a negative COVID-19 test “no earlier than the day prior to the departure of the person’s flight to the Islands”.
They also require arriving stayover passengers to obtain travel authorisation through the Travel Cayman portal and impose quarantine on certain kinds of unvaccinated travellers.
The COVID-19 rules enforcing a mask mandate were also extended earlier this month, but the limit on outdoor public gatherings was removed.
There had been suggestions government may start to relax the remaining rules when the current regulations expired at the end of this month, following industry pressure, criticism of the disparity between travellers arriving via air and on board a cruise, and information prematurely posted – and subsequently removed – on the government website, which indicated the Travel Cayman authorisation would no longer be required for returning Caymanians and legal residents.
The travel rules had been due to expire on 31 May and will now stay in place until 30 June, 2022.
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I don’t understand. Those of us that hate cruises, and spend more money are penalized. How is it that I would cause someone to get sick any more or less than if I was on a cruse ship? Funny how a person I work with (remotely) got Covid from a cruise ship two weeks ago, and me flying for work am healthy.
Oh well, maybe we will come back one day. We used to spend three weeks a year in Cayman.
Requiring a negative covid test and proof of vaccination make good sense.
But applying for authorization to travel to Travel Cayman is unnecessary and pointless form filling.
It achieves no purpose and will only succeed to discouraging tourism.
Time to let these people find gainful employment.
Boooooooooo
Completely ridiculous of course. Since the cruisers can come in without all of this hassle, it leads me to think that the portal and the rest of the show that is hassling air travelers is simply some sort of jobs program, or someone is making $ off if the portal. There is no other reason that I can think of that this hassle exists.
When they get rid of this nonsense, I will rent a condo for a week and come back to see you all. Until then the USVI and other places are just fine for us, thanks.
What a place we are in when a government treats some ransom cruise passenger better than a citizen.
“criticism of the disparity between travellers arriving via air and on board a cruise”
???
Great idea!! You’re doing a fabulous job of protecting your people Cayman.
Yet another own goal by this timid Government who seem determined to suppress tourism. Why are there different rules for cruises and planes? I’m fully vaccinated with two boosters – what more do they want?
QUOTE: Tourist arrival numbers continue to surge to Turks and Caicos, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The destination’s numbers in the first quarter were just about even with what had been spectacular visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2019.
Indeed, Turks and Caicos welcomed 138,762 arrivals in the first quarter, which represented 98 percent of the same period in 2019.
The 98 percent number represents one of the strongest tourism recoveries in the entire Caribbean region.