NEW TRAVEL UPDATES: U.S. Travelers can now submit Proof of Vaccination for entry into U.S. Virgin Islands

Declining COVID Cases Allow Modified Travel Requirements for Domestic Travelers and Relaxed Masking Mandates

SAINT THOMAS, Virgin Islands, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Virgin Islands continue to see a decline in COVID-19 cases allowing Governor Bryan to announce an ease in requirements for domestic travelers. Effective as of March 7, travelers who are fully vaccinated in the United States and USVI can submit proof of vaccination and are no longer required to provide a negative COVID test for entry.

Fully vaccinated travelers include those who have received the following vaccines and have waited at least 14 days following their required dosage before the first day of travel to the USVI.

Approved vaccinations include-

• Johnson and Johnson (minimum one shot)
• Moderna (minimum two shots)
• Pfizer/BionTech (minimum two shots)
• AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine (minimum two shots)
• Sinopharm (minimum two shots)
• Sinovac (minimum two shots)
• COVAXIN (minimum two shots)
• Covovax (minimum two shots)
• Nuvaxovid (minimum two shots)

As of March 9, there were only .84% of positive cases reported in the U.S. Virgin Islands in a seven-day period.

"Safety has always been and continues to be our first concern for both residents and visitors of the USVI. As we closely monitor the COVID-19 cases within the Territory, we continue to see a trend of declining positive cases which gives us an optimistic outlook on the future of tourism in the destination and the confidence to loosen the restrictions on visitation from the U.S." says Commissioner Joseph B. Boschulte of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Department of Tourism. "We are hopeful that these new requirements through our user-friendly portal will give travelers the confidence that their health is our top priority."

All visitors arriving from the U.S. mainland and USVI are required to provide either proof of vaccination or acceptable negative COVID-19 test within five days of travel through the USVI Travel Screening Portal for travel clearance. Approved visitors will receive a green QR confirmation code via email for entry.

Partially or unvaccinated domestic travelers, and those who received COVID-19 vaccination(s) outside of the U.S. are still required to submit a negative COVID-19 test for travel clearance and entry into the Territory. International travelers, inclusive of the BVI ages 18 and older arriving in the USVI must provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test regardless of vaccination status and citizenship.

Finally, testing is not required for inbound travel from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland.

Within the Territory, as of March 14, Governor Bryan has drooped indoor masking mandates. Face coverings are no longer required indoors with a few notable exceptions including indoor and outdoor areas at ports of entry, indoor and outdoor areas at public, private and parochial schools and at all hospitals, nursing homes and healthcare facilities. Business-owners can determine whether they want to require customers and staff to wear masks at their discretion.

For more information on COVID-19 protocols and the latest tourism updates visit, https://www.visitusvi.com/ and  https://usviupdate.com/.

About the U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands are an official U.S. territory in the Caribbean that consist of three individual islands ? St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. Perfect for leisure or business travel, the U.S. Virgin Islands are rich with culture, history, surrounded by breathtaking beaches. When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens can enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel as no passport is required for U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the United States. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are equivalent to entering the United States from any international country. Upon departure, a passport is required for non U.S. citizens. For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Instagram (@visitusvi) and Twitter (@usvitourism), and become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI).

SOURCE U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism