Montserrat Considered Low Risk for COVID-19 Infections and Included in CARICOM Travel Bubble

Montserrat is among CARICOM states identified as low risk COVID-19 destinations.

This would allow travel from similar states without a PCR test prior to arrival and without having to undergo a quarantine period.

An agreement was reached to create a Travel Bubble at a recent CARICOM meeting, held on Friday, September 11.

Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be in the Bubble, as they presently meet the criteria.

In agreeing to establish the Bubble, the Heads were guided by a comprehensive report from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), which provided recommendations on how the Bubble would operate, and laid out the eligibility criteria for countries to participate.

The recommendations included that countries would be categorised ranging from those with no cases to those which had low, medium, high and very high risk with respect to the rate of positive cases over a 14-day period.

Montserrat currently has no active cases of covid-19.

Only those countries with no cases and those in the low-risk category would be allowed to participate in the Bubble; and CARPHA will assess relevant data to advise on participation in the Bubble.

Heads of Government agreed that travellers from countries within the Bubble would be allowed entry without being subjected to PCR testing prior to arrival and would also not have to undergo quarantine restrictions.

Travellers may however be subjected to screening on arrival.

Other Member States and Associate Members will be allowed to participate when they meet the criteria.