BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has cleared the air on the recent announcement that it has agreed on the Travel Bubble, pointing out that it was done only “in principle”.
In a statement yesterday (Sept. 17), the St. Kitts-Nevis Information Service said, “Coming out of a CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting on Friday 11th September 2020, to address challenges to the travel and tourism sectors in the region due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to seek ways to bolster these sectors, St. Kitts and Nevis has agreed in principle to a regional travel bubble, but the country’s borders remain closed until further notice.”
According to the SKNIS statement, the Government “has not agreed to an implementation date for the Travel Bubble of Friday 18th September 2020, as some other CARICOM Member States would have done”.
Following a special meeting of regional Heads of Government, Chairman of the Caribbean Community, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves indicated that several territories, including St. Kitts and Nevis, have agreed to the Travel Bubble.
That Bubble, according to Gonsalves, is to be implemented based on the recommendations of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
“St. Kitts and Nevis continues to be guided by the recommendations of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on how the bubble would function and the eligibility criteria for countries to participate.
“The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has rated St. Kitts and Nevis on a list of 25 countries that has a very low-risk country for contracting the COVID-19.
“St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to act responsibly by adhering to all the health and safety measures and to follow the best professional advice and practices to ensure that its citizens and residents are protected against the COVID-19,” the SKNIS statement said.
The Government had given a timeline of October 1 for the reopening of the Federation’s borders, but that is dependent on a number of measures.
