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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
CARIBBEAN | GETAWAYS
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS The recipient of numerous best-beach awards, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) reopened to tourists in late July under standard safety and health protocols. Six islands make up Turks and Caicos, the most developed of which is Providenciales, where flights arrive at Providenciales International Airport. The others are North, Middle and South Caicos, Grand Turk and Salt Cay. A curfew that had been imposed on Providenciales and North Caicos from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. was scheduled to be lifted Aug. 31. Shopping plazas and grocery stores are open, as are restaurants (but only for takeout). Hotels open for business include Palms Turks and Caicos, The Shore Club and Ocean Club Resorts’ Ocean Club and Ocean Club West, all within close proximity to the popular Grace Bay Beach. The Grand Turk Cruise Center remains closed. Entry requirements: Travelers need a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test from an accredited laboratory taken within five days of travel. The test result is a requirement to obtain a TCI Assured Travel Authorization to enter the country.
Caribbean Comeback Idyllic island locales welcome tourists with safety in mind
JAMAICA
Turks and Caicos Islands TCI TOURISM
By Melanie Reffes
A
FTER MONTHS OF LOCKDOWNS, curfews and
closed borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sunny Caribbean is readying to welcome back tourists. As restrictions, rules and regulations give way to new health and safety protocols, a number of islands are reopening their borders to travel from the U.S.,
while others are taking a wait-and-see approach. Many details are still uncertain, but when tourism resumes, social distancing, health screenings and frequent sanitizing will be the new normal. And face masks will likely be as necessary as swimsuits and sunscreen. “Thus far, the region has effectively minimized the spread of COVID-19,” says Frank Comito, CEO and director general, Caribbean Hotel and
Tourism Association. “Health and safety protocols are being put in place, mirroring the international standards which have been recommended and adding more stringent measures to help build traveler confidence; there’s every reason to believe we will be resilient once again.” These locales are eager for travelers to return and swap virtual happy hours in your living room for a rum punch by the water’s edge:
Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the island would reopen to international travelers June 15. Health screenings will be conducted upon arrival, and face masks will be mandatory at the airport, in taxis and at hotels and resorts. With stringent safety protocols in place, many hotels are open, including three Sandals Resorts (Montego Bay, Royal Caribbean and Negril); Beaches Negril; Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios; Sunset at the Palms Resort in Negril; and Couples Tower Isle and Couples Swept Away. Beaches Ocho Rios will reopen Oct. 8, and the Couples Negril and Sans Souci properties will be closed Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. Entry requirements: Tourists must complete an online travel authorization form and undergo a health screening, and U.S. citizens 12 years and older must also present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 10 days of arrival in Jamaica.
