New CDC alerts issued for various Caribbean locations regarding COVID-19

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released its initial weekly travel advisory updates for the new year, highlighting a strong recommendation to "avoid travel" to Aruba due to a "very high risk" of COVID-19.

The CDC is also revising its warning levels for several other popular Caribbean destinations, including the Bahamas and St. Martin.

To stay informed about travel updates and advice from TPG, subscribe to our daily newsletter.

Aruba has been placed in Level 4, the CDC's highest-risk classification for COVID-19. Countries are classified as Level 4 when they report more than 500 positive cases per 100,000 residents over the past 28 days.

"Due to the current situation in Aruba, even fully vaccinated travelers might face risks of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 variants," the CDC stated on its official website.

Aruba, a favored winter escape, remains open for travel, with airlines continuing to operate flights there. It has specific entry requirements for travelers arriving from high-risk countries, including the U.S., which is currently categorized as high-risk.

"Travelers heading to Aruba from any high-risk location must fulfill the PCR testing requirement 2 days before departure, regardless of their vaccination status, and will not be able to test upon arrival in Aruba," reads a notice on VisitAruba.com. Additionally, travelers are required to complete an online Embarkation/Disembarkation card and purchase Aruba Visitors Insurance, as stated by the Aruba Tourism Authority.

Aruba isn't the only Caribbean destination experiencing an increase in COVID warnings. The CDC has also classified The Bahamas and Sint Maarten at Level 3, which indicates a "high level" of COVID-19 transmission on those islands. It advises unvaccinated travelers to "avoid nonessential travel" to both Sint Maarten and the Bahamas.

Other Caribbean islands have updated their travel entry requirements in response to the ongoing spread of the omicron variant. This includes the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Barbados.

As per the USVI Department of Tourism, all domestic travelers must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within three days before travel, regardless of their vaccination status. This shortens the previous testing requirement from five days to three.

Puerto Rico has also tightened its entry requirements. All domestic travelers are required to have a negative COVID-19 rapid or PCR test conducted within 48 hours of arrival, irrespective of their vaccination status, according to Discover Puerto Rico. Unvaccinated travelers are now required to quarantine for seven days upon arrival, regardless of their test results. Previously, there was no mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated travelers. Full details on travel requirements to Puerto Rico can be found on the Discover Puerto Rico website.

Both The Bahamas and Barbados have updated their entry regulations concerning COVID testing.

Barbados now permits travelers to either present proof of a negative COVID-19 rapid test taken within one day of arrival or proof of a negative PCR test taken within three days prior to arrival, according to information on VisitBarbados.org. Unvaccinated visitors must quarantine at approved accommodations for seven days and take a PCR test on day five.

The Bahamas has changed its policy, allowing vaccinated travelers to show either a negative rapid antigen test or an RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Unvaccinated travelers aged 12 and older must still present a negative RT-PCR test taken within three days of arrival. Anyone with test results older than 72 hours will be denied entry to the islands.

A rapid antigen test is now mandatory for all travelers planning to stay in the Bahamas for more than 48 hours (two nights), regardless of their vaccination status.

Featured Image by Nisangha for Getty Images