Cuba Reopens to Fully Vaccinated Tourists In November
Good news for travelers wishing to head to Cuba, as by November this year, 90 percent of the Caribbean nation’s population will be fully vaccinated. This excellent vaccine uptake has led to Cuba’s government planning to ease travel restrictions from November 15, 2021. At that time, the current testing requirement and hotel quarantine mandate will be removed for any US travelers who are fully vaccinated. Read on to find out more about the reopening of the country’s borders.
Cuba reopens to fully vaccinated tourists
Cuba’s peak travel season kicks off in mid-November and runs through late March, making this the perfect time to ease travel restrictions and attract visitors to its shores. Set to start on November 15, all airports will reopen and commercial flights will resume.
From that date, international visitors will no longer have to present a recent PCR test, as long as they are fully vaccinated and can prove it. Anyone who isn’t vaccinated will still need to present a negative PCR test, taken no more than three days before traveling to Cuba.
Cuba made this major decision after its government predicts that almost all of its inhabitants will be fully vaccinated by mid-November.
The tourism ministry said in a statement, “Taking into account the progress in the vaccination process in Cuba, its demonstrated effectiveness and the perspective that more than 90 percent of the entire population will conclude the vaccination schedules in November; conditions are being prepared to gradually open the country’s borders as of November 15, 2021.”
Health and safety protocols
In a Spanish language video, Macías Rutes, Director of Operations of the Tourism Ministry, outlined the government’s plans to ease restrictions at Cuba’s borders. He explained that certain protocols will be relaxed on visitors’ arrival, but there will still be certain safety protocols in place. For example, diagnostic tests will be carried out randomly at the airport. Should a traveler test positive for COVID-19, they will be transferred to a hotel-hospital. This is a government authorized tourist facility set up for isolation and medical care of travelers visiting the Caribbean nation.
At this time, all visitors are required to quarantine for five days at the hotel-hospitals until the results of their PCR tests come through. After this, they are required to take a second test before leaving quarantine.
However, from November 15, this all changes as Cuba gradually reopens to international visitors, with all tourist activities resuming, including tours and excursions.
Bear in mind that under US law, Americans can only travel to Cuba on a self-qualifying “general license” in one of 12 categories as listed here. They will also need to undergo a PCR test prior to flying back to the US, which is the current rule. This won’t be difficult to manage, as the US Embassy in Havana states that PCR and antigen tests are readily available in the Caribbean nation. Meanwhile, visitors can find their nearest testing provider through this list of clinics on the Embassy’s website.
Make plans to head to Cuba for its peak travel season and enjoy everything this Caribbean island has to offer.
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