Antigua and Barbuda: Authorities update COVID-19-related travel restrictions as of Aug. 12 /update 20

Antigua and Barbuda updates COVID-19-related travel restrictions as of Aug. 12; curfew and health state of emergency remain in place.

Event

Authorities in Antigua and Barbuda updated travel restrictions as of Aug. 12; children over the age of five must present negative test results and all unvaccinated visitors are subject to quarantine requirements. Authorities are maintaining most COVID-19-related restrictions domestic movement, and business activities unchanged. The nation's existing health state of emergency will remain in place until at least Sept. 30.

Travel Restrictions
New restrictions require all persons aged five and over arriving by air, including transit passengers, to present a negative result from an RT-PCR test taken within seven days before travel. Passengers arriving for medical treatment or procedures must possess a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours and comply with the Ministry of Health's guidelines. All persons traveling to Antigua and Barbuda must complete a health declaration form. Visitors entering Antigua and Barbuda will be subject to enhanced screening and may be required to go through additional COVID-19 testing at the airport at their own expense.

As of Aug. 12, all arriving foreign visitors who have not been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks before travel must undergo a 14-day quarantine period at a government-approved accommodation. Foreign visitors who have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks prior to departure will be allowed to stay in a government-approved accommodation; whether these visitors will be subject to quarantine depends on individual assessments carried out by authorities upon arrival. Fully vaccinated returning nationals or residents are not subject to quarantine.

Those required to quarantine may need to wear a monitor bracelet during the isolation period. Passengers arriving by sea are also subject to quarantine measures as determined by the port authorities.

All individuals who have been in Brazil or South Africa in the 14 days preceding travel, with the exception of flight crews, are prohibited from entering the country.

Domestic measures
Under current directives, the country's nightly 23:00-05:00 curfew remains in effect. Individuals are not allowed outside their accommodations during curfew hours; essential and critical services are exempt.

A maximum of 25 people, not including staff, may attend wedding and funeral events; wakes, after-funeral gatherings, and wedding receptions remain banned. Bars are allowed to open with protocols and restaurants are permitted to offer indoor dining, as well as delivery and pick-up services. Beaches remain open 05:00-19:00.

Nationwide requirements for individuals to wear facemasks in public spaces and businesses to observe special health protocols and enforce social distancing of no less than 6 feet (1.8 meters) between individuals remain in effect until further notice.

Authorities could reimpose, extend, ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.