BVI places moratorium on cruise ships, implements stringent visitor screening

TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – The British Virgin Islands (BVI) as announced the immediate closure of the cruise port, allowing no cruise ships to call on the territory for 30 days in an effort to protect the island from the coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a statement on Monday, the BVI said that while there are no confirmed cases of the virus in the country, the number of international ports of entry into the island have been limited to facilitate the effective screening of passengers.

It said that the entry of passengers and crew members who have travelled to, from or through COVID- 19 affected countries as specified in a list of countries of special interest within a period of 14 days or less, will not be allowed.

“Additionally, the entry of passengers and crew members who have travelled to, from or through COVID-19 affected countries classified as a high-risk country within a period of 14 days or less immediately preceding their arrival in the territory, will be subject to advanced screening procedures and may be quarantined for a period of up to 14 days based on the outcome of the risk assessment.”

The government has also announced the postponement until further notice any mass gatherings or festivals that were scheduled to take place during the next month.

“After extensive consideration, the British Virgin Islands made the prudent decision to put stringent measures in place to temporarily enhance the protocols for entry into the Territory until April 13,” said Premier Andrew A. Fahie.

“It is imperative that we prioritise our limited resources to safeguard our residents and our guests. Tourism is our mainstay and it is important that we take measures to ensure our long-term sustainability.

“Our tourism industry has faced many crises before, from natural disasters to epidemics, and we have always come out strong on the other side. After much anticipation, we are at the start of a big celebratory year as many of our beloved resort products are finally reopening following extensive rebuilding.

“We also expect this summer to be busy in the BVI with rerouting of cruises and airline service in and out of the Caribbean,” said Fahie, who is also the Minister of Finance & Minister responsible for Tourism.

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