Cruise passengers can enter St Kitts and Nevis by taking 'antigen tests'

St Kitts and Nevis: The Federation has taken a decision to spur the tourism sector with a major concession to allow vaccinated cruise passengers to enter the country by utilizing antigen tests, said Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris during a press briefing on Tuesday. According to the decision taken by the Government, once visitors are fully vaccinated the risk of their transmitting the virus to people of St Kitts and Nevis is significantly reduced. The rigorous roll-out of the vaccination program has seen the Federation emerged with over 62 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated and over 73 percent have taken at least their first dose of the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine.

Prime Minister Harris said that a significant higher level of vaccination provides a further level of protection against the virus. “We must never become complacent or drop our guard.”

PM also announced that there will be an arrangement of cruise bubble to convert in a safe corridor of containment and with the arrival of Pfizer vaccines from the US will additionally help the Federation to vaccinate more persons as the country is all set to roll-out vaccination programme for persons aged 12 years and older from September 1, 2021.

The opening of cruise tourism will put thousands of persons back to work with inclined income flows and business activity. Prime Minister Timothy Harris further said that for 17 months a large number of persons like taxi operators, employees at duty-free shops at Port Zante and elsewhere have been without meaningful work. “A brighter future awaits them. They however should minimize their risk by getting vaccinated and observing all protocols.” “The heavy dependence of SCASPA and Solid Waste on budgetary support from the Federal Government will be lessened as they will receive steady inflows from cruise business. For 2020 and 2021 my government supported these entities to the tune of $12.4 million,” PM Harris added.

It will safeguard the heavy investments in cruise tourism and consolidate the gains built up over 6 years by the Team Unity administration. “The success of this is that St Kitts and Nevis became a marquee port 2 years in a row, amassing over one million cruise passengers to our shores. The fastest growth in cruise tourism witnessed in the region.  We will build on this even as we diversify around tourism and increase our stay over arrivals, thereby building a stronger and more resilient economy,” PM Harris extolled.

Prime Minister also announced the following:

• American Airlines will resume flights to St Kitts on November 2 and the first flight is already fully booked.
• Delta airline will resume service during the Fall providing Saturday service only.
• United Airlines, weekly flight will resume on December 18, 2021, continuing to April 30, 2022.
• British Airways will start providing service once weekly from October 3 and 10, 2021. Thereafter, it is loaded to come twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Air Canada is loaded to commence on November 7, 2021 to April 2022.

Dr Timothy Harris said that St Kitts and Nevis is expecting much more improvement last quarter of 2021 and a satisfactory winter season of 2022.