Ports damaged by pandemic without cruises
Cruises have been canceled since last March, resulting in more than 100,000 Americans losing their jobs according to a November report. Florida was particularly hard hit, as the state is home to the three busiest cruise ports in the world.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are asking Americans to be careful before traveling to various Caribbean islands before spring break.
Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the Dutch Caribbean island Curaçao, have been added to the CDC’s list of countries that American travelers should avoid, labeling the islands at Level 4 (“Very High COVID-19”). Countries join other popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean or the Caribbean coast, such as Saint Lucia, Aruba and Mexico, on the CDC’s Level 4 list.
The CDC’s Level 4 list currently also includes more than 150 other countries and territories worldwide, including the United States.
The CDC has classified Antigua and Barbuda as a Level 4 high-risk destination (iStock).
Caribbean islands that are not on the CDC’s Level 4 list include Bahamas, Montserrat and Trinidad and Tobago, all at Level 3; Dominica and Grenada, at Level 2; Angiulla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Sint Eustatius, at Level 1. More information about the current designation of each country or territory can be found on the CDC website.
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The US Department of State, for its part, also issued Level 3 travel recommendations (Reconsider travel) for Americans traveling to Antigua and Barbuda or Curaçao. (The Antigua and Barbuda communiqué was last updated on March 1, 2021, while the one on Curaçao was updated on September 28, 2020.
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Passengers flying to Antigua and Barbuda must submit a negative COVID-19 PCR test done seven days before the flight, while Curaçao requires US travelers to also submit a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to departure, according to the Tourism Council.
International travelers are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test before returning to the USA, requires the CDC.
Anne Schmidt contributed to this report.