CORONA VIRUS UPDATE
State of Emergency Ceases as Dominica Preparers for Phased Reopening of its Borders
As of June 30th, 2020, Dominica’s positive COVID-19 cases reman at 0. There were 18 total confirmed cases of whom all have recovered, 0 deaths, and 3 persons in quarantine.
RE-OPENING PROTOCOLS UPDATE
The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica has announced a phased approach to the reopening of the country’s tourism and hospitality industry as they prepare to welcome visitors and nationals back to the Island. A tentative date of July 15th has been set for nationals and residents, and August 7th for non-nationals.
A series of protocols are being finalized for the reopening of Dominica’s boarders. This was announced during a press briefing by the Minister for Health on July 1st, 2020. Pre arrival requirements as well as ports of entry criteria will be communicated to the travelers to ensure they are aware of expectations for travel to Dominica. DDA will provide these as soon as they are made available.
AIRLINES
Air France Is Returning to the Caribbean
Air France is making its return to the Caribbean this summer, the carrier said this week. The airline will be relaunching its flight service to the wider Caribbean beginning in July.
The relaunch will include Fort-de-France, Martinique; Havana, Cuba; Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe; Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and St Maarten.
Caribbean Airline LIAT To Be Liquidated
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Honorable Gaston Browne has announced plans to liquidate the regional carrier, LIAT.
Browne, who made the announcement on Saturday said a new entity will be formed and a meeting of all shareholders will be held shortly to discuss the matter. “COVID would have actually, let’s say increased the losses exponentially, so whereas in all of 2019 LIAT made a loss of about EC$12 million, that was within the means of the shareholder governments to subsidize,” Browne said on local radio in Antigua.
Discover Dominica Authority will follow this development as plans for reopening in July continue.
Win air Resuming Limited flights
With the opening of SXM Airport scheduled for July 1, 2020 WINAIR will resume flights to destinations according to requirements and regulations of the respective authorities. https://www.fly-winair.sx/re-opening-update-where-we-fly-to-56.html
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Post COVID-19, there will be changes to the protocols that destinations will need to follow. One critical area of the visitor’s trip is the accommodation experience. DDA through the Product Development Department and Quality Assurance Unit will be active along with other stakeholders to develop the local protocols to ensure that the destination offers a safe experience to the visitor:
Health and Safety Training conducted for Frontline Workers
The Health and Safety Training Series targeting tourism service providers kicked on July 2, 2020. Twenty-seven (27) Airport Taxi Service Providers were trained in the areas of:
- COVID-19 Causes and Symptoms
- Physical Distancing Measures for the Workplace
- Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Measures & Personal Protection, including use of face covering and other personal protective equipment (PPE)
- New cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting practices for tourism vehicles
- Guidelines for the Airport Tourism Taxi Service Providers.
The session was a joint effort of the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Environmental Health Department and Fire Department. In anticipation of the reopening of the country’s borders, the training series will ensure service providers are aware of “All Things COVID-19” to mitigate emotional consequences which may impact negatively the delivery of the tourism service.
Caribbean Tourism Health Safety Training
Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has launched Caribbean Tourism COVID-19 Task Force Health, Safety and Sanitation Guidelines and Training Series. Sessions are open to: All Private Sector Tourism-Related Businesses: Owners, Managers, Supervisors, Directors.
Participating businesses will be recognized, and accommodation providers may be eligible to receive the Caribbean Traveler Health Assurance recognition stamp (CTHAs). Each individual that attends the session will receive a certificate of participation.
Upcoming sessions will include:
- Accommodations – Public areas (July 1st)
- Recreation & Entertainment – Sites & Attractions (July 7th)
- Food & Beverage Service (July 8th)
- Accommodations & Attractions – Pools, Beach & Spa (July 13th)
- Accommodations – Housekeeping (July 15th)
- Accommodations – Laundry (July 22nd)
Hoteliers are urged to take advantage of this training opportunity. To register, visit
www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.
DISCOVER DOMINICA AUTHORITY REOPENING INITIATIVES
Discover Dominica Authority Advises Hoteliers To Prepare Adequately For Return Of Visitors
CEO of the Discover Dominica Authority Colin Piper has told hotel owners that in this COVID-19 environment, guests will now be interested in the safety and risk management plans at tourism properties. Mr. Piper said property owners will be guided through developing their safety action plan that will get them certified for business. Piper says that while borders may not be open to international visitors yet, properties must ensure they are certified before accepting local visitors especially during the Staycation period.
According to Piper, businesses can use this period to prepare for the return of international guests.
CRUISE INDUSTRY
Center for Disease Control &Prevention (CDC) renewed the No Sail Order
On April 9, 2020, the Center for Disease Control &Prevention (CDC) renewed the No Sail Order and Other Measures Related to Operations Order signed by the CDC Director on March 14, 2020—subject to the modifications and additional stipulated conditions as set forth in this Order. The Order is published in the Federal Register and effective as of April 15, 2020. The extended Order is in effect until one of the following occurs:
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services declares that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency, or
- The CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations, or
- 100 days have passed from April 15, the date the extended order was published in the Federal Register and went into effect. 100 days from April 15 is July 24.
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2020-07930
Discover Dominica Authority will continue to monitor the situation with Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), along with updates form cruise lines.
CLIA Announces Voluntary Suspension of Cruise Operations from U.S. Ports
As the world continues to address challenges regarding COVID-19, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has been working with local and national governments around the world, as well as leading health authorities and our partners across the wider cruise community to coordinate our efforts during the ongoing suspension of worldwide cruise operations. As such, The Cruise Lines International Association announced on Friday 19th June that ships will not be sailing from U.S. ports throughout the summer, extending a pause put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The current no-sail order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 14 is set to expire July 24. The association says cruise lines have decided to voluntarily prolong this pause until Sept. 15 because they need time “to resolve barriers” with U.S. authorities to restart sailing. Read more about CLIA’s voluntary suspension of operations at https://cruising.org/news-and-research/press-room/2020/june/clia-announces-voluntary-suspension-of-cruise-operations-from-us-ports
Royal Caribbean, MSC, Carnival Cruise Line extend sailing suspensions into fall
Major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, MSC and Carnival Cruise Line have announced extensions of their sailing suspensions into the fall months.
The extensions come on the heels of an announcement from industry group Cruise Lines International Association that member cruise lines have voluntarily extended the suspension of U.S. cruise operations until Sept. 15 amid coronavirus concerns.
Carnival Cruise Line extended its operations pause in North America through Sept. 30, citing CLIA’s move on Friday to voluntarily suspend U.S. operations until at least Sept. 15. Read more at this link https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/06/22/carnival-cruises-canceled-through-september-amid-coronavirus/3234687001/
For COVID related information on Dominica please visit our Dominica Update site at http://dominicaupdate.com/.
For more information on Dominica, contact Discover Dominica Authority at 767 448 2045. Or, visit Dominica’s official website: www.DiscoverDominica.com , follow Dominica on Twitter and Facebook and take a look at our videos on YouTube.
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About Dominica: Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a, and not to be confused with the Dominican Republic) is a haven for adventure travelers seeking a unique vacation that includes: hiking and adventure, cultural events/festivals, diving and water sports, whale/dolphin watching and canyoning adventures. Dominica lies south of Guadeloupe and north of Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean. Air travelers can connect to Dominica on Air Antilles, Air Sunshine, Coastal Air Transport, interCaribbean Airways, LIAT, Seaborne Airlines, or WINAIR from the surrounding hubs of Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St Lucia, the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If travelling by sea, travelers can connect to Dominica on L’Express Des Iles ferry service from Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Lucia and on Val Ferry from Guadeloupe and Martinique