InTheBite

New Travel Update for The Bahamas

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Photo courtesy Brian Spence

The Islands of the Bahamas, June 16, 2022—Effective Sunday 19th June 2022 The Bahamas Travel Health Visa (BTHV) will no longer be required to travel to The Bahamas. However, all present COVID-19 Testing, and Vaccination Protocols will remain in effect and will need to be presented at check-in.

BLACKHAWK Repeats as Marina Casa de Campo Open Champion

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casa de campo

Photo: Marina Casa de Campo

March 23, 2022, Marina Casa de Campo—After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, BLACKHAWK, a 76 Viking, took top honors in the 2022 Marina Casa de Campo Open, which concluded last weekend in the Dominican Republic. The New Smyrna, Florida-based team released eight blue marlin and two whites to earn the championship trophy, along with a brand new golf cart from a local dealership. Owner Mike Cannon, Capt. Joe Lyall and the crew also boated a 37-pound dorado for the biggest fish in the game fish division. BLACKHAWK also won the Open in 2020.
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New Testing Requirements for all Persons Entering The Bahamas

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travel advisory

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation has taken note of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases around the world and is implementing new testing requirements for all persons entering The Bahamas as a precautionary effort to continue to keep the destination safe.
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New Updates on COVID Vaccine Requirements in Hawaii

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vaccine

Hawaii-Guide.com recently provided a new update to requirements and changes in regards to Hawaii travel and the COVID vaccine parameters. Read the excerpt below or click here for the full article.

The Vaccine in Relation to Hawaii Travel

Presently, proof of vaccination is not a recognized exemption to the Hawaii travel quarantine. The state continues to evaluate the latest science and will inform travelers of any new exemptions as those decisions are made. Please see the Hawaii Travel Restrictions page for more information.

A potential Spring/Summer 2021 timeline has been proposed for Hawaii vaccination “passport” travel to begin. There is also a March-April timeline for Inter-Island Travel, potentially early May for trans-Pacific travel.

In mid-December 2020, word was received that Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, who is both a physician and is in charge of Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, had said that he would ask the governor to approve travel both trans-Pacific and interisland for anyone who has had a COVID vaccination without further requirements starting in early 2021. For travelers who choose not to get vaccinated, we believe the current restrictions, testing requirements, and quarantine policy are likely to remain in effect for most, if not all, of 2021 and potentially beyond.

Initially, it was proposed to start at the beginning of February 2021, but this has since been postponed until sometime in the Spring of 2021. After approaching the Governor about the update, the Lt. Governor has now indicated that Governor Ige is more inclined to make this change sometime in the Spring or early Summer, not in February as originally proposed. The latest news suggests, as of mid-February 2021, that vaccine/health passport travel will begin in three phases; which is outlined below.

Phases to Hawaii Vaccine/Health Passport Travel

  1. First, essential workers who have been vaccinated will be permitted to travel without additional conditions. This could begin imminently; we are awaiting an announcement from Governor Ige.
  2. Second, inter-island travel will be permitted for vaccinated travelers, pending the Governor’s approval. This could begin as soon as March 1, 2021 – but may not happen until sometime in April.
  3. Finally, trans-pacific travel from the U.S. mainland and potentially abroad will be permitted. This, according to the Lt. Governor, could begin sometime at the beginning of May 2021.

The Lt. Governor has indicated that the state of Hawaii is currently awaiting results of a CDC report to confirm that those who have been vaccinated are not carriers.  According to Beat of Hawaii, recently Dr. Green said, “This demonstrates that they’re not worried about people, once they’ve been vaccinated, they’re not worried that they’re going to catch COVID, they’re not worried that they’re really going to spread COVID.” At this time, it remains uncertain whether the latest update from the CDC is adequate confirmation or not.

CDC Guidelines

The CDC has recently said that quarantine should be avoidable for those who have been vaccinated at least two weeks prior, remain within a three (3) month window following receipt of the last vaccination dose, and remain asymptomatic. There was no additional travel guidance, as the information was only related to COVID exposure. However, the CDC said, “Individual and societal benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine may outweigh the potential but unknown risk of transmission (among vaccinated individuals).”

The Bottom Line Currently…

Ultimately, the decisions regarding the future of vaccine travel are now in Hawaii Governor David Ige’s hands. As things look now, after receiving the vaccine, you’d need to travel within three months of your last dose. This timeline will potentially be extended as more information is available.