St. Kitts & Nevis will once again welcome visitors to its shores beginning October 31, 2020. In order to ensure a responsible reopening of its borders, the federation says it was purposefully the last Caribbean destination to do so.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently assessed the federation's COVID-19 risk as very low and designated it as "No Travel Notice" required, having had only 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus, no community spread and no deaths.
"We have been working diligently to prepare for this reopening to ensure that we are ready to welcome travelers by training and certifying local businesses and individuals in the health and safety protocols they are required to meet and be certified in to be permitted to operate," said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, minister of tourism, transport and ports, in an announcement. "This is particularly important as we encourage visitors to explore our islands beyond their hotels to experience what makes us a unique, authentic and quintessential Caribbean experience."
The twin-island country has received international recognition of its successful management of the first wave of the global pandemic as a result of early and aggressive testing, contact tracing and quarantine program along with an "All of Society Approach" that includes mask-wearing in public, social distancing and sanitization protocols to ensure everyone's health and safety.
Ongoing and careful consultation with the chief medical officer and Ministry of Health to fully develop and implement health and safety protocols for the entire industry was paramount to ensure the wellbeing of all citizens, residents and visitors. In fact, for business to reopen, tourism industry businesses, employers and employees must undergo "Travel Approved" training for their respective sector/business/department and upon completion of the training they receive the "Travel Approved" certification and seal.
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