Traveltalkonline.com Forums


BVI Cruise Schedule TTOL Sponsors BVI Travel Calendar
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics39,335
Posts318,986
Members26,659
Most Online3,755
Sep 23rd, 2024
Top Posters(30 Days)
bdeeley 73
RonDon 38
erb923 25
GaKaye 25
jazzgal 24
Kennys 22
Member Spotlight
Sandsailsun
Sandsailsun
Miramichi NB Canada
Posts: 2,451
Joined: January 2011
Today's Birthdays
YachtReprise
Who's Online Now
15 members (ChuckG, Wingman, PnPinNC, Mikel, michaelj, BillR, boucharda, SANFILIP, SXMBND, jazzgal, 5 invisible), 740 guests, and 49 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 986
ecm56 Offline OP
Traveler
OP Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 986
Honourable Malone is speaking now. After June 15th he is saying fully vaccinated travelers will not have any quarantine and no test upon arrival. They will have to provide a PCR OR Rapid Antigen test within 5 days of arrival and evidence of vaccination. Gateway charges for fully vaccinated travelers will be reduced to $35. He said cabinet has approved this change. I will look for a printed press release and post it as soon as possible.

If you use Facebook, here is a link to his announcement (video): https://www.facebook.com/BVIGovernment/videos/595061768136015

This video and a transcript should be available soon - I will update with those when I see them.

Last edited by ecm56; 06/10/2021 04:16 PM. Reason: Added link to video of announcement
BVI Sponsors
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 1
R
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
R
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 1
Thanks for that. Wonder if that means no Good Seal transport?

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Originally Posted by RatmansWife
Thanks for that. Wonder if that means no Good Seal transport?

they didn't specify but upon arrival a vaccinated guest won't be in quarantine so I see no reason there would be a need for them to use Gold Seal transport.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 1
R
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
R
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 1
That will be great news for Anegada, Jost, VG, as well as the ferry companies. Water taxis out there could get pretty costly. It should also help alleviate some of the testing capacity issues.

Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 11
J
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 11
We are arriving 6/12 😭😭😭. Happy for those coming after us though!

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
I wonder what this will do for the stress inducing BVI protocol everyone is going through to get permission to arrive?


Louis from Houston
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Originally Posted by louismcc
I wonder what this will do for the stress inducing BVI protocol everyone is going through to get permission to arrive?

Unfortunately, not much is changing in the permission to arrive steps. Will be much easier once people are here though. No more entry test, approved transport, quarantine for 1-2 days, turning trackers, etc...

Hopefully soon the US will change protocols and not require entry tests for vaccinated travelers so the last test will be eliminated too.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
In many ways the requirement for the outbound test is more obtrusive on vacation plans that the pre-arrival protocol, so I agree that it would be great if the USVI eliminated the test requirement for fully vaccinated.

Also on my wish list is seeing the reduction in arrival testing leading to opening up to inbound water taxis.


Louis from Houston
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,434
B
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
B
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,434
I literally just completed the portal for 8 people and that is a beast. We arrive on the 14th so very happy for those of you that will start later and still have portal but not the Day 0 airport brain scan PCR-RT test and quarantine

Last edited by bailau; 06/10/2021 05:00 PM.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 986
ecm56 Offline OP
Traveler
OP Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 986
Here is a link to the minister's written statement.

Honourable Malone's Statement of 10 June regarding new protocols

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,190
M
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
M
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,190
Louismcc - if you are fully vaccinated and have a positive antibody test (good for 4 months) and are transiting back to USVI via water taxi or ferry, you can use that result for reentry.

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
I saw that and may go ahead and get the test. I just wonder if everyone who has been vaccinated (we all have) will get a positive antibody result.

It appears that the USVI accepts the rapid test but I don't know if that is a test currently being administered in the BVI to people heading out to the USVI.


Louis from Houston
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,578
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,578
I'm arriving on the 14th - one day too early to take advantage of the new protocols. Are the "gold seal" taxis more expensive than the normal exorbitant rates?


[Linked Image]
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 1
R
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
R
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 1
Land taxi rates appear to be the same. Real issue has been water taxis. At first the government paid, but then travelers had to pay, in cash. They were supposed to put out a rate sheet, but didn’t. I got a written quote for $100. He forgot, and when we got to the dock he tried to charge us $160 - for a five minute, one mile ride.

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,190
M
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
M
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,190
Louis - I had Moderna and my husband had Pfizer - we both tested positive for antibodies two weeks after second dose.

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
I'm thinking of hunting down a place that does the antibody test (aren't that many compared to the PCR testing places) because it would make it easier to do transits to and from the USVI. I had read somewhere that older folks (I'm 66) weren't generating as strong an antibody response to the vaccination (I had Pfizer) so thought that might result in a negative antibody test.

Still for the obvious travel benefits it's worth pursuing.


Louis from Houston
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 986
ecm56 Offline OP
Traveler
OP Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 986
LabCorp did antibody tests for my wife and I last year for $10 each. No appointment was needed.

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,190
M
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
M
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,190
CVS does antibody in their minute clinics.

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 751
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 751
Originally Posted by MIDiver
CVS does antibody in their minute clinics.

And some of their pharmacies without the Minute Clinic.
https://www.cvs.com/content/antibody-testing

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
I'll check again but the CVS in our area don't show that as an option.

Update: Found a CVS not too far away that does them while you wait for $38. Eliminated any further testing for the trip is well worth $38!.

Last edited by louismcc; 06/11/2021 03:15 PM.

Louis from Houston
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,590
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,590
Make sure that it is acceptable..... we found several that were not.

$150 later did work. $38??? are you sure?


Eric Hill
TTOL Sponsors
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 860
Originally Posted by Eric_Hill
Make sure that it is acceptable..... we found several that were not.

$150 later did work. $38??? are you sure?


According to the CVS website, $38, no insurance accepted. I'm not sure how to evaluate whether or not it will be accepted but they call it "COVID-19 antibody testing". What I'm not clear about is whether or not being vaccinated will generate the antibodies. There have been some articles that indicate older people's immune system may not generate the antibodies but yet we are still protected against COVID.

Since the BVI still requires a test and now accepts the rapid test, we'll still do a rapid test. What gets saved is a trip to a clinic in the BVI for another test 5 days before heading back to the USVI.


Louis from Houston
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 751
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 751
We got ours at CVS. Used for USVI via ferry. They specify igg vs. igm antibodies which is what is needed when I called USVI for information.

Last edited by xrayman67; 06/11/2021 04:09 PM.
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 11
J
Traveler
Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 11
Everyone in our group used CVS for antibodies. It was $38 and all of us got IgG positives and IgM negatives, except for my 12 year old got positives for both (she got her test 1.5 weeks after her second vaccine). The USVI portal accepted all of our results. We are all vaccinated and none of us had Covid that we know of.


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5