Another Destination Drops COVID-19 Travel Requirements

The return to normalcy in the travel industry continues.

This time it’s the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), which announced that it would no longer require vaccinated U.S. travelers to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. The territory, which includes St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, is one of the more popular Caribbean destinations for North American travelers.

Effective immediately, unvaccinated domestic passengers will still have to show proof of a negative test, taken within five days of travel, and international travelers will still be required to abide by the U.S. entry rules, which includes a test taken within 24 hours of arrival.

All travelers are still required to complete an application in the USVI Travel Screening Portal prior to arrival, too, which asks for information on travel, including arrival and departure dates, along with vaccination proof and a COVID-19 questionnaire.

COVID-19 cases in the territory have dropped dramatically since its peak in early January—USVI recorded its highest case count on Jan. 9, 2022, with 978 new daily cases, a number that has effectively dropped to zero as of early March, according to the New York Times COVID tracker.

With the news, the USVI joins other domestic destinations, including Hawaii, which become the last state to drop its indoor mask mandate on March 25, and Puerto Rico, which is dropping more COVID-19 era travel restrictions, in returning to normal travel procedures.

Other international destinations are also on a similar track— Ireland announced last week that it was also removing almost all of its pandemic travel rules, including vaccination requirements. Italy also dropped its COVID-19-era restrictions last week.