CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The U.S. Virgin Islands has updated its COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers.
The new requirements mean all U.S-based travelers aged 5 or older must submit a negative test result (antigen or PCR) within three days before travel to the USVI.
The new rules took effect yesterday.
The change applies both to vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, including those who were vaccinated in the USVI.
The territory had been using a five-day requirement.
The USVI has had one of the most successful tourism re-openings in the Caribbean, anchored by its class-leading Travel Screening Portal.
That’s helped lead it to booming tourism numbers for much of the pandemic, along with a wave of new airlift from across key markets in the mainland US.
Because the U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory, travelers do not need a test to return home.
The announcement comes as more and more destinations across the Caribbean are tightening their entry testing windows amid the rise of the Omicron variant.
As of January 2, 2022, St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John had 2,111 active COVID-19 cases and a 7-day positivity average of 24.34 percent, the Virgin Islands Department of Health said.
For more on traveling to the USVI, visit the USVI Travel Screening Portal.
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