After closing its borders on 22 March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Trinidad and Tobago is cautiously reopening its gates from 17 July. Scheduled air services are expected to resume from that date.
The announcement was made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at a media conference at St Ann’s on 26 June.
Entry rules are based on three categories of people:
Category 1 – fully vaccinated citizens or legal residents of T&T
Category 2 – unvaccinated citizens or legal residents of T&T
Category 3 – other, unvaccinated individuals.
T&T citizens who have been fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine (Category 1) will be allowed to enter the country without having to quarantine so long as they can show proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours or less before arrival. Accompanying children will also be allowed to enter.
People in Category 2 may enter on showing proof of a negative PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours. However, they must quarantine for 14 days at their own expense at a state-approved hotel.
Unvaccinated non-nationals should not attempt to visit Trinidad & Tobago, as the border remains closed to Category 3 travellers.
According to Dr Rowley people intending to travel will soon be able to submit their information via an app, similar to that used in other Caricom countries.
The national curfew at weekends will start at 9pm (instead of 7pm) and will run to 5am. Face masks must be worn in all public places and in vehicles; entry to shops is not permitted to anyone not wearing a face mask. Anyone who flouts the rules will “feel the full brunt of the law”, Rowley warned.
In early July the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classified Trinidad and Tobago as a very high risk country for Covid-19. Out of a total population of 1.39 million, 33,248 cases of the virus and 892 deaths have been recorded. Around 220,000 people have received a first dose of vaccine and 113,000 their second dose.
