by Mike Meranski
Fellow Grenadians, friends, colleagues, it appears to me that there is a huge problem with Grenada’s new vaccine protocols.
Forcing all arrivals to have TWO PCR tests within 72 hours is ill-conceived and counterproductive. No one wants to have their nose swabbed twice in 3 days (or less) which is what these new rules call for. In fact, if you were to ask your Dr [doctor] if it would be dangerous to do, especially if you have sinus issues like I do, he/she would probably say… yes? I would think that very few people will go along with this?
Either the Gov’t [government] requires the 72-hour PCR test along with your vaccine card that confirms you are fully vaccinated 2 weeks prior to arrival, or they demand the PCR test once you arrive here in Grenada. One or the other, not both.
If the Gov’t decides that just requiring ONE PCR test here upon arrival is sufficient for those fully vaccinated, Grenada will continue to receive its US$150 per person Covid Test income, which many refer to as a “Covid Tax.”
This is much needed for the MOH [Ministry of Health] especially if they want to purchase more vaccines for Grenadians. However, the biggest problem with the PCR test being administered here at the airport or seaport, would be the many hours you would have to wait while the MOH performs PCR tests for what we hope to be hundreds more arrivals daily. Another concern or potential problem would be the potential for exposure to Covid while the tests are taking place in the airport.
The much saner approach, less risky, and more likely to attract the number of visitors necessary to reboot our economy, is for fully vaccinated arrivals to have a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival along with your vaccine card. WELCOME TO GRENADA.
Meanwhile, leave in place the current protocols for those unwilling or unable to vaccinate.
With this approach, our economy opens back up much more quickly, and more and more Grenadians will see the urgency of getting vaccinated as rehiring will increase dramatically with employers requiring a fully vaccinated workforce. We will continue to protect Grenadians from the virus as well as we did before, if not better, but now we will also be treating our economy which has been sick for 13 months.
The facts are clear. The numbers don’t lie. The vaccines are proven extremely safe and very effective and anyone telling you otherwise is blowing smoke.
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Just wanted to say how sad I am as a prospective visitor to learn entry requirements have changed to allow visitors (which is great) but from UK (if allowed soon) we have to have PCR test up to 72hrs before we leave AND another on arrival, even if fully vaccinated. This will add c£600 to costs for 2 people and no doubt will deter many, including us. Very sad.
Mandating vaccines is a ridiculous idea. It is also highly discriminatory.
If Grenada wants to see its economy bounce back they should think very careful on the approach they adopt.
A negative test on arrival and one 3-5 days post arrival is all that is required. Noting that most visitors will still need to get a test done to return to their home destination 3 days before leaving. Paying for 3 tests (minimum) will be around $5-550 USD per person. This is an extremely large amount for a family or even two couples.
If these things aren’t considered Grenada will end up sacrificing the many for the few and will never bounce back from the damage done Tourism caused by the pandemic.
Sorry but if you don’t want to adhere to Grenada’s protocol then DON’T COME HERE!!! I’m totally ok with it. There’s a reason why our cases are so low compared to the rest of the world. Great job Grenada!!!
Yeah because thats what people want to do in the middle of their vacation, sit in some slow as hell grenadian institution to take a second test.
And the reason your numbers are so low is because of the poor access to testing, and the government lying the whole way through so they can prop up tourism.
Or did you forget that people who traveled from grenada to trinidad tested positive despite grenada claiming they had 0 active infections lol
Check the details on your claim regarding folks going to trini. It was a false positive, and all the people were retested and found to not have covid….
Tell Keith and his crew that’s quite impossible and not safe it’s a risk to swab your nose once far more twice. Wtf wrong with this man… Is he for real… Also forcing people to take thr vaccine… Bull shit it’s not made mandatory by the CDC… Have anyone wondered Y it has not?… What happen to takingnit 72 hrs beforentravel and being swabbed on the fifth day if you don’t take the vaccine and remain in quarantine. People it’s time to put our feet down.