by Linda Straker
- Airport reopening date agreed to at Monday’s cabinet meeting
- Opens 1 July 2020 for international and regional passenger traffic
- All incoming passengers to be screened and quarantined, some with more restrictions than others
Tourism Minister, Clarice Modeste, has confirmed that Grenada will officially be reopening its international airport on 1 July 2020 to commercial passenger traffic.
“The date was agreed to at Monday’s cabinet meeting. We believe that we have done a significant amount of education with the various stakeholder about the new health protocol, and despite the risk, we believe that we are ready to welcome passengers,” Modeste said.
Grenada closed its borders in March as part of measures to contain and control the spread of Covid-19. Since then the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) has only allowed pre-approved repatriation and select charter flights.
Modeste said that the plan right now is to welcome both international and regional travellers. “We are aware that a number of Grenadians are stuck in foreign lands because of the measures, and so we announced the date so that airlines can start offering the service. We are hoping that many Grenadians will return home.”
The idea now is for all incoming passengers to be screened and quarantined, some with more restrictions than others. “Self-quarantine or shorter quarantine period might be enforced for some, especially returning nationals, while visitors of leisure may be restricted to some places,” she explained.
Modeste also confirmed that all arriving passengers will be screened with the rapid Covid-19 test as part of the screening process.
When asked if the decision to announce the date was because of international airlines demanding to government that services recommence to the island, Modeste said that tourism authorities have had mutual discussions with airlines and never got the impression that a deadline date was required. “They kept up to date with the decision of the islands, especially the decisions that will be affecting the tourism sector. So now that we have given them a date, they can start the necessary arrangement to start marketing the service,” she said.
Hello i myself would like to know i am do to be married,my fiance is there waiting on me . i pray i can leave on September ,1st
The Prime minister stated that the airport will not be open to INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL flights because of the protocols Grenada wanted put in place and the AIRLINES would NOT agree to them. This is the reason given in his speech Sunday night. You can listen to it yourselves by accessing the Government Information Services page on Facebook. NO ONE should be made to sign any kind of LEGAL agreement without the specifics of the costs included in the document like Grenada did to repatriating Nationals. Why are you paying hotel prices and claiming it costs $200EC per day to feed someone in quarantine? Who is really making the money off of those in quarantine? It don’t cost no $9500EC to keep someone in a room for 14 days either. Someone is scamming alot of money.
After it was stated MBIA will be open on April first we bought our tickets. 1 my mother is worried about unfinished construction on the house. For me. I had terrible anxiety attacks for the first 2 weeks of lockdown in NYC. I prayed for the day that I can escape to my homeland to regroup. I bought seeds to plant etc. My kids was excited to be able to be free in our fenced property . It’s disappointing because they could have made it mandatory that All travelers get tested before arriving in Grenada. Instead of saying the airlines is not agreeing to let passengers test before boarding. Most other Caribbean islands are open or has a date set to be open with protocols in place… A few residents have stated they want to protect the country from the “foreigners” so keep them out! And I understand their concerns, but my concern is when all is said and done it will be the same local residents of Grenada leaving its shores to have their unborn children born in the USA.. Not very patriotic.
As of June 28th, in PM Mitchell’s speech, he clearly stated that the airport will NOT be opening to commercial flights on July 1st, as previously confirmed. He indicated that this is because of the mess that the US has made in controlling the virus. I guess they don’t want tourists from Canada, where we very much have the virus under control.
He gave absolutely no indication of when he will reopen the airport to commercial flights.
Melinda do you have any information or a link to the pm speech please,as im trying as many others to find out when the airport is open ffor commercial flights thankyou Louise 🙂
We too will be returning to Carriacou mainly to visit an ailing relative and would like to know what the arrangements will be
Hello i myself would like to know i am do to be married,my fiance is there waiting on me . i pray i can leave on September ,1st
What exactly happens when you land after July 1st? If you have a reservation at a resort will you be allowed to go??
I would like to know where I would be quarantined and who plays the cost of it.
When landing at GND with a negative covid-19 test performed 24 hours before, shall I be allowed to immediately continue my flight to CRU and be quarantined there for 14 days at my private home in the island?
Or shall I have to spend 1 or 2 days at the main island at a location set by the Government?
Kind regards to all at Now Grenada!
The government need to be more clear in their statement on how people are being quarantined and provide a definition on “places” where this will occur. If there’s additional costs to visitors they should be made aware up front as to what they should expect. These statements are not clear and it appears that there could be unexpected expenses endured that they may not be prepared for. So is the government providing places for folks to quarantine and is it free? Also if a visitor is tested prior to visiting the country and then tested when they get to Grenada l, will they be allowed to self quarantine for less that 14 days?
How about the people going to Carriacou and Petite Martinique ? Will they be able to get there and be quarantine there ?