Vaccine requirement to enter Guyana takes effect today

Guyana’s latest travel advisory which stipulates that all foreign travelers who are travelling to the country must be vaccinated comes into effect from today, Sunday August 8, 2021.

The gazetted order, which also stipulates that all travelers entering Guyana must have taken a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to arrival to be allowed entry, was signed by Minister of Public Works and published on Saturday.

According to the guideline, which now has legal effect, as part of civil aviation health and safety regulations, travellers seeking entry to Guyana will only be required to have been inoculated with a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

It stipulates that proof of vaccination means a document indicating that the person has received at least one dose of either the Astra-Zenerca, Sputnik-V, Sino-pharm, Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the PCR tests, the airlines will be tasked with verifying the test results presented. If an individual took a PCR test more than 72 hours (or three days) prior to the flight but less than seven days, that individual will be required to have a second test done upon arrival.

Importantly, however, individuals with a PCR test taken longer than 72 hours days beyond their flight will not be allowed to board the flight to Guyana.

This updated regulation adds to those measures for airports and aircraft that mandate passengers take other precautionary measures in light of the public health pandemic.

Meanwhile, in July, a gazetted regulation made under the Civil Aviation Act stated that nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, specifically, are required to be fully vaccinated before they will be allowed to travel to Guyana.

Then, the News Room was reliably informed that this new regulation is meant specifically for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago and not for those who may stop in the Caribbean country due to an in-transit flight.

Therefore, a passenger travelling from the United States (US), who stops in Trinidad and Tobago, does not need to be fully vaccinated.

Previously, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said that the government was considering tougher actions against people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.