Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

8th day COVID-19 test for tourists under review

8th day COVID-19 test for tourists under review

In an effort to bring down the associated costs of COVID-19 testing to tourists, as well as reducing the number of tests to be administered, Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Carvin Malone (AL) said the administration is working to review the 4th COVID-19 test requirement.

This comes after Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) on October 26, 2020, announced that the VI government would require tourists to take a total of 4 tests before they are allowed unrestricted movement in the territory.

However, the announcements have since sparked concerns that the Government’s COVID-19 PCR protocols may be excessive and would deter prospective tourists from even considering the Virgin Islands as a destination.


Honourable Carvin Malone (AL) has said that Government cannot jump on ideas solely because it is being popularly supported or proposed by the VI community.

Concerns over the number of COVID-19 tests


According to the Health Minister, during a Tuesday, October 27, 2020, press conference alongside the Premier, while the 14-day quarantine is not feasible to build a tourism product as determined by medical professionals, he said reducing it to four days means more requirements.

“There's a requirement that the test that is going to be accompanied on the eighth day is to make sure that we reduce the percentage of possible occurrence of the virus. That seems to be the most concern that we have in terms of the number of tests,” he said.

“We are going to look at this, but it must be looked at by the medical professionals, we cannot arbitrarily just say well we don't want an 8-day test because we don't feel it is necessary, we might be doctors overnight but epidemiologists we are not.”

The Minister said, therefore, the administration will have to consider the science behind the COVID-19 virus and determine what risk percentages the Government is willing to allow in the territory.


Health Minister Hon Carvin Malone (AL) said while a 14-day quarantine is not feasible to build a tourism product as determined by medical professionals, he said reducing it to four days means more requirements.

Gov’t will listen, but medical team will decide – Hon Malone


“If our citizens are telling us that it could be looked at in other ways that we can implement the safety of it, we are prepared to look at it and have our professionals look at this, not the politicians, not the leaders but to have the medical team look at what may well be best.”

The Minister warned; however, that the Government cannot jump on ideas solely because it is being popularly supported or proposed by the VI community.

“If we have an outbreak tomorrow the same people who would be looking critically at the measures put in place, will be the very same ones that will turn around the criticism in terms of, what have you done.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×