Grenada’s new entry protocol in effect

Linda Straker, NOW Grenada – Unvaccinated Grenadian nationals who are entering the country will have to be quarantined for up to 7 days. Those who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to undergo 48 hours of quarantine.

This new travel entry protocol went into effect on Monday, 15 November 2021.

“For persons who are travelling right now, just ensure that you have your proof of vaccination, your PCR test because the PCR test of travel within 72 hours is required. Just ensure that you have these to travel into Grenada,” Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Shawn Charles said during Tuesday’s post-Cabinet briefing.

Health Minister Nickolas Steele said that “Fully vaccinated passengers can use other means of transportation to get to their destination besides the designated taxis at the airport, but whoever is picking them up must also be fully vaccinated.”

As of May 2021, Grenada’s entry mandate stated only fully vaccinated non-nationals will be allowed into the country and they will remain in quarantine for 48 hours. They were tested upon arrival at the Maurice Bishop International Airport, transferred to a quarantine facility and once the PCR was negative, they were free to leave.

The authorities cannot stop nationals from returning, and thus if they are unvaccinated, they must be quarantined for no more than 7 days with a PCR test conducted on the 5th day.

The onset of the winter season is resulting in increased landings of commercial passenger aircraft from main tourism markets like the USA, Canada, UK, and Germany. Data from the Grenada Tourism Authority show that between January and April incoming passengers were in the hundreds but as of May, the monthly incoming passengers began arriving in the thousands.

That number is expected to continue in the thousands but will not exceed the 2019 figures. A total of 224,062 passengers arrived that year.