Caribbean islands decide whether to ban travellers, not CARPHA

Each island manages its borders and takes the decision to impose travel bans or to seek alternatives to manage their port and security.

Reiterating this after some Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica imposed travel bans since the discovery of the omicron coronavirus variant, the Caribbean Public Health Agency is stressing that “the decision to impose entry requirements belongs to the national authorities.”

CARPHA Executive Director Dr Joy St John added that there are serious considerations to be made.

“It should be based on the country’s capacities for border surveillance, community surveillance, testing capacity, and the ability of the health services to cope with mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 infection and the long-lasting effects,” she said.

"Travel bans will “place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods”.

In a press release, CARPHA shared that recent news reports indicate that omicron has been detected in more than 40 countries. CARPHA acknowledged that the omicron variant has been rapidly spreading to countries and within these countries.