(by National Geographic)
AS U.S. CASES of the novel coronavirus skyrocket, some countries that were cautiously accepting American travelers are changing their minds. Some governments are reinstating travel restrictions they lifted just a few weeks ago, while others are adding screening barriers. The question of where Americans can go plays out against a complicated and ever-changing backdrop of public health fears, economic imperatives, logistical hurdles, and ethical considerations.
Destinations that previously seemed to have the coronavirus under control are now facing new spikes in cases, many linked to travel. There’s worry over Spain’s rapidly rising cases, and that vacationers could spread the virus farther when they return home. France has seen recent clusters of outbreaks, causing the government to expand mandatory masking.
Vietnam had been one of the world’s best pandemic performers, with no reported infections or deaths between April and July. But over the July 25 weekend, cases emerged in Da Nang, a popular beach town. Thousands of domestic tourists were evacuated and at least 81,000 people are now in quarantine. As of August 3, Vietnam has recorded six deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Americans aren’t allowed to travel to those destinations yet. But many Caribbean nations, including the Bahamas, are open to U.S. tourists—even though Americans may have contributed to the rise of new cases and resulting lockdowns there.
Here’s the latest on places American travelers can visit—and what logistical complications and ethical considerations fall into the mix.
Where Americans can travel
As of August 3, destinations open to U.S. visitors include Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Cambodia, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, French Polynesia, Ireland, Jamaica, the Maldives, Mexico, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Sint Maarten, Sri Lanka, St. Barts, St. Martin, Tanzania, Turkey, Turks and Caicos, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates (but only Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah), the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dominica is expected to start welcoming Americans on August 7, and Belize follows suit on August 15.
But entry isn’t necessarily easy. While some of these destinations simply screen for symptoms of COVID-19, others require a two-week quarantine or proof of a negative test result. Be sure to check requirements before making any future plans.
What to know before you go
While there are ways to make travel safer, it’s impossible to eliminate risk. The State Department continues its Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory, and before booking, you should consider whether your trip is essential and how it might contribute to the spread of COVID-19.
Even people who don’t exhibit symptoms of the disease can be contagious, and some are “super-spreaders.” As the Washington Post reported, these highly infectious individuals are driving the pandemic. It’s also not safe to assume that COVID-19 survivors are immune to re-infection.
“What each person does can affect many others,” says Dr. Lin H. Chen, president of the International Society of Travel Medicine and director of the Harvard-affiliated Mount Auburn Hospital Travel Medicine Center. “Travelers must remember that their actions can impact people with whom they have contact and likely the families of those people.”
Those people include hospitality employees, who are often on the front lines interacting closely with travelers. In the travel industry publication Skift, journalist Pam Mandel recently made the urgent and well-articulated case that “it’s unethical to require a worker [to] put herself repeatedly in a high-risk situation” just because someone wants a vacation.
How the Caribbean is coping
Many nations in this region are flip-flopping on where travelers can wear their flip-flops this summer. Having implemented systems to monitor COVID-19 cases, several destinations have been quick to douse flare-ups before they grow out of control. That means tightening restrictions and changing protocols for both residents and would-be visitors.
The Bahamas reopened to international tourism on July 1, but just a few weeks later, COVID-19 cases tripled (from about 50 on July 1 to 174 on July 21; as of August 3, the total has risen to 648). The nation’s response evolved: First, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis prohibited flights from the U.S. as of July 23. The next day he reversed course but ordered new hurdles for incoming passengers. Travelers to the Bahamas must apply for an online health visa and present a negative PCR test, and now have to quarantine for 14 days in a government facility at their own expense. The country is also under a renewed lockdown and curfew, after residents had started resuming normal life.
Donovan White, Jamaica’s director of tourism, says the country designated Arizona, Florida, New York, and Texas as high risk and requires those travelers to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test in advance. White noted that protocols will change, as they will for most countries, because “the trajectory of the pandemic remains unclear, causing the global travel landscape to continue to evolve.”
Aruba opened first to Caribbean neighbors, Canada, and Europe, delaying U.S. arrivals until July 10. “We are aware that multiple countries have temporarily restricted international travel to and from the United States due to a sudden increase in positive COVID-19 cases,” says Ronella Tjin Asjoe, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority. Aruba’s safeguards include requiring travelers from 24 high-risk U.S. states to submit a negative test prior to departure, while other travelers can take the test on arrival.
Originally planning to allow U.S. travelers starting July 1, Dutch Sint Maarten moved the green light to July 15, then August 1. Minister of Tourism Ludmila de Weever said in a July 14 Facebook Live session that “everybody got a bit nervous when they heard we were reopening to the U.S.” De Weever added that airlines have been flexible, with one saying “‘any decision you make, we respect that. You have to keep your country safe.’”
For some destinations, safety means not allowing any travel from high-risk countries. “We’ve been eager to return to a time when international travelers rubbed elbows with locals,” says Rebecca Marval, marketing director for the Curaçao Tourist Board, but she adds, “we are determined to succeed the first time around.” So far the island has re-opened to Canada and other nations, but not the U.S. The strategy seems to be working: only four of the country’s 29 total cases were active as of August 3.
Bad behavior is to blame
With the world’s highest COVID-19 count, the U.S. has made many countries wary of its travelers. And the behavior of some Americans isn’t encouraging countries to lay out the welcome mat.
Canada is issuing fines and tickets to Americans breaking its quarantine rules. Because of continued rule breakers, stricter measures are now in force for Americans allowed into Canada to drive to homes in Alaska. Residents of Sonoyta, Mexico, formed blockades to protest American tourists who might bring the virus with them. In Ireland, Americans flouting the quarantine have caused locals to push for tougher enforcement.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda reportedly said in June that U.S. tourists threatened to sue, arguing that requirements for COVID-19 testing and for quarantine when they tested positive were a “violation of their rights.” As a consequence, the prime minister said the country would change its health protocols.
“We treat all our visitors the same as it relates to entry protocols,” says Colin James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. As of July 2, arriving air passengers must complete a health declaration form, provide certification of a negative test, and may be subjected to additional testing at passenger cost. Failure to comply may result in fines up to 10,000 East Caribbean dollars (about 3,700 U.S. dollars) or a six-month prison term.
On Grand Bahama island, a recent virus surge prompted a new two-week lockdown that allows outings only to grocery stores, pharmacies, and water depots (due to 2019’s Hurricane Dorian, there’s still saltwater in the taps). Events were canceled or reduced to five participants, but at least one U.S. group held a destination wedding. “We had to watch Americans get married without social distancing, while Bahamians had their weddings canceled and lost deposits,” says local writer Ashleigh Sean Rolle. That wedding is now under police investigation.
Smaller countries with limited health-care capacity tend to be especially vulnerable to the pandemic. “We don’t have the facilities to handle COVID like the Americans,” says Rolle. “It’s not that we don’t want to see tourists again, but it’s selfish and irresponsible to think your vacation is more important than someone’s life.”
Both globally and in the U.S., refusals to follow the advice of health experts are leading to coronavirus spikes. If you must travel, consider the ethics and how it could contribute to the spread of COVID-19. As Tedros Adhanom, head of the World Health Organization recently said, “we’re asking everyone to treat the decisions about where they go, what they do, and who they meet as life-and-death decisions—because they are.”
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This is how I know Antigua is lying about the number of active cases – “The Bahamas reopened to international tourism on July 1, but just a few weeks later, COVID-19 cases tripled (from about 50 on July 1 to 174 on July 21; as of August 3, the total has risen to 648).”
Antigua doesn’t even require tourists to quarantine, wear masks, or obey protocols and yet they would have us believe there are only 21 or 22 active cases.
Antigua has been open a month longer than the Bahamas and never actually routed out all cases in the community. They just ignored all of the sudden deaths in March, April, May.
Educated guess tells me there are hundreds of active cases walking around Antigua. Please be very careful everyone.
The government is remaining willfully ignorant by refusing to test in the community or to test ALL returning people, both tourists and nationals.
We know, so far, that the majority of COVID positive people are asymptomatic “silent spreaders.”
Furthermore, many of the symptomatic people are also not tested and just told to quarantine at home.
This could be a disaster brewing.
Arrogant yanks ruining me country…
It’s not America’s fault that your government refuses to protect you.
@Bill Miles: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.Why are the Yanks as you say “ruining me country”.Without those Yanks coming to Antigua.Many persons would still be on the breadline.At least the Yanks stay at the Hotels.While Antiguans coming home would break quarantine.Like Gaston Browne’s father.He said so himself.That his father broke quarantine.You cannot have it both ways.You would want Hotels to reopen and not want the Yanks there.When they are the ones patronizing those Hotels all year round.It is their US$ that makes the mill go.
AA, BA and Virgin waan dem money !! What happen to ppl once they land and who else gets it is not their concern ! They will pressure government to open the borders then blame them for covid spread.
I am shocked that the PM folded so quickly to the US tourists threatening to sue. I say let them try. Tourists are coming in a choosing to do whatever they want without fear of consequences because the government doesn’t want negative press. Its money over lives and health.
I can also speak to the comment about the numbers that have been reported. I went to Canada in March to visit family (1 case on island and 34 in Canada at the time). I returned on the 22nd and fell I’ll within a few days of my return. I called, requested a COVID test (even at my own expense if necessary) and was repeatedly told no. The danger with this is that not only did I exhibit most of the symptoms, not being tested or having the access to medical professionals, I also had zero clue how long I was potentially a risk to others.
Luckily, I KNEW I was sick and given that I have family members that are frontline workers, I was aware at how dangerous I was to the public. I isolated from my family and stayed that way for 3 weeks then still quarantined until the lockdown was lifted. Had I listened to the hotlines standard responses that were obviously scripted (“its probably just the flu. Call back if your breathing problems worsen”), I could have been responsible for significant spread.
The lack of transparency is just appalling.
Exactly. There are likely hundreds of case – if not more – walking around Antigua.
And the cases are growing every single day because they let in people traveling from COVID hotspots EVERY SINGLE DAY.
But the government refuses to test or treat these sick people. Their attitude is – If you happen to recover without treatment, good for you. You were never tested, so you can’t be counted amongst the positive.
But they didn’t trace your contacts or make sure you quarantined. So it’s likely every hidden positive case in the community has spread it to multiple other people who will spread it to multiple other people.
If you happen to suddenly die, well they’ll just pretend you died of natural causes.
It’s Trump’s strategy, keep the cases low by not testing.
Be careful out there people.
What ironically might happen is tourists who get very sick or family members die of COVID from contracting it here in Antigua take some kind of legal actions against the island because the government is negligently and FRAUDULENTLY is making it seem like Antigua is nearly COVID-free by hiding cases.
Either way, I don’t see this ending well for tourism in Antigua.
And it’s definitely not going to end well for the people of Antigua who deserve much better.
You can thank the Fhurer Gaston that you voted in for all these cases and sinking of Antigua.
Oh and don’t forget to thank him for all the Chinese he allows here and giving them all access.
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