In keeping with the announcement by the Government of Grenada that the country’s borders will gradually open to accept commercial and charter flights, government wishes to inform the public that a charter JetBlue flight will arrive around 12:30 pm today.
The flight will bring close to 90 Grenadians who were unable to return home since the outbreak of the coronavirus, and the subsequent closing of our borders.
Part of the requirement is that each person on the flight would have done a Covid-19 test in the last 7 days, which would have returned a negative result.
On arrival in Grenada, each passenger will have a rapid test done at the Maurice Bishop International Airport, and all will be required to proceed to a government approved accommodation where they will spend the next 14 days at their own expense.
US Citizens and residents who have been stuck in Grenada travel to New York on the return flight.
GIS
The GOG is making it so hard for it’s own people to return home, (I’m not even bothered with tourism that’s beside my point ), interested persons were notified about this flight late Tuesday and they were only provided with a time , date and airport of departure , they were expected to be tested and receive results within 7 days whilst most testing facilities in the US, due to high demand; had a waiting time of 7-15 days before results were available, no exceptions were made strictly PCR tests were acceptable. Grenadian citizens had to hunt for testing sites that promise quicker results and in some cases, contact laboratories directly via phone call or email to inquire about results, untop of this , the cost of the tickets ranged from $475 USD to $995 USD if traveling with children (one way) The use of JetBlue credits was prohibited, passengers also didn’t know the full cost until late Friday evening. The cheapest known gov approved quarantine site costs $120 XCD per night and passengers as far as we know are mandated to spend 14 days quarantined (after having to sign a form stating that we agree that the GOG isn’t responsible for us during this government mandated quarantine period) , let’s not forget these are the same people who have been stranded for months unemployed and some almost homeless in various parts of the US. After this whole experience I find it hard to be patriotic.
Yes. This is my current situation. I’m damn near homeless, beyond broke, and with an infant. A longer than expected medical trip left us stranded for months, and it seems more expensive to return home as a broke, stranded national, than to stay here in poverty where the conversion rate continues to swallow my pennies whole.
Desperate and hopeless, trying to keep a leveled head.
How do we transform an island economy from a tourist dependent one to a (? ) one. What do we have to sell to the rest of the world. This is the challenge. This dilemma plaques many a small nations, most times forcing them to make desperate decisions (Selling Out). Larger nations lay in wait for circumstances like this when small nations are unable to cope with falling economy just to snap up their Ports and Beaches and Water and Air leaving the residents to be second-class Citizens. Can we look at how others have made transitions and follow their strategy. I think we can do this. We can start with a thinktank and develop a strategy to do just that. Just for instance one of the things grenada has which is not being tapped is our soothing (speach) dialects. I have never heard a better tone of voice on all the other airplanes I have traveled on. But now do we have call center in Grenada to take advantage of the outsourcing in customer relations/services that are occurring from American Companies. As a matter of fact all of the customer services I have received over the last ten years came from Asia countries.. Seems like they have this locked down. I think we should super boost the education of our kids with computer education and programming at this time. This can help take our nation to the next level. To be able to use AI (artificial intelligence) to your benefit will be the new norm. NATIONS NOT ABLE TO HARNESS OR CAPITALIZE ON THE SPEED OF THE COMPUTER WILL BE LEFT BEHIND. If you are not able to calculate with good certainty the future outcomes of a decision, you will not be able to negotiate equally with a larger nation. Today any Large Nation putting a contract in front of you already ran the scenario in many different ways. Up, Down East West and Center 🙂 (using computer algorithms) and knows the outcome before comming to the table. They will always win. Therefore we have to strive for this next level. Educating our kids is the only route to keeping up with this computer age. This will be the key to not Selling Out Our Citizens Precious Resources. We cannot wait. This lands were bought with the backs of our ancestors and we cannot give it away because we did not plan to keep up with the times. Tourism should not be our best industry. There should be other best means of survival for our Economy.. Let’s use Algorithms to find them. PLEASE COVER UP a storm is passing close to us in a day or so. Stay tuned to the stations for updates.
If you’re negative on arrival and doesn’t have a fever…can youu self quarantined if you are by yourself in your own home???Many people who lives out off Grenada, are home owners there…..just asking….
Imagine you have 15 days holiday and you decide to spend it on the island of Grenada then 14 of those 15 days are spent lock away in quarantine , this is laughable no person in they right mind would do this. So we better get use to finding another way of earning money as tourist will not travel this year or even next year this virus is distroying our economies across the caribbean our future and the future of our children are at stake developement will be the past, travel will become too expensive .There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Yes, Zola,
The government has informed the people on this beautiful island, that the airport is open.
Though with the Covid 19 travel restrictions and the fact three are no Airlines arriving from Canada, the UK, Europe or the USA.
It might as well be shut, nobody is coming for a holiday, travel all that way to risk ending up in quarantine for 14 days.
Regional air travel will not do anything much to stimulate the econom.y
So this economy will suffer, until these restrictions ease, but that could be another year with very little income for the average Grenadian.
More house break ins, more suicides, mental health issues……..and we have not even stopped the Covid 19, though the government says we have.
Three returning Trinis, tested positive, upon arriving back in Trinidad, after 3/4 months in Grenada……So Covid is here, whatever the Ministry of Health says
Come on people the rules and the rules. It’s been announced for a while now and u have a choice. Why all these dumb questions. It’s in english..you dont question the rules overseas, u guys just follow it why not the same for your country. It’s all to protect lives including yours..
I am already out over 5 thousand dollars for a vacation I scheduled in November 2020.
will it be mandatory to be isolated for 14 days if corona test is negative.?
Yes! Yes! And Hell Yes!
How much do the individuals have to pay per day for those 14 days?
If one owns a private home, and is a resident/citizen, can they quarantine in their own home, of course with testing?