Can I travel, should I travel?

Question.
The government advice says to refrain from all but essential travel, can I travel?

Answer.
This is a question that has a lot of people concerned and the answer is also a little confusing, this extract is taken from the FCO’s own website.

“Sometimes we (the Government) say that only essential travel is advised. Whether travel is essential or not is your own decision. You may have urgent family or business commitments which you need to attend to. Only you can make an informed decision based on your own individual circumstances and the risks”. 

In short, as long as airports are open and flights are flying it is possible to travel, travelling to the Caribbean as a community traveller may be essential to you as an individual. Under the New Year lock down the travel advice has not changed.

Question.
I am not sure if I might have the virus, but I need to travel, what should I do?

Answer.

Only travel if you are feeling well, if you have any covid-19 symptoms do not travel, if you have been in close proximity to anyone with covid-19 do not travel. Arrange to take a test and self-isolate until the results are known.

If you knowingly get on a flight when there is even the slightest chance that you may have covid-19 you may be detained and quarantined if detected further down the line, many countries have health screening measurements in place to help detect people who might have the virus. You also run the risk of infecting others some of whom may be more vulnerable to the effects of the virus.

Question.
Will I be able to get Travel insurance?

Answer.
Take insurance where you can, in some cases you may not be able to find cover at this time due to the virus, Government guidelines,  restrictions abroad, you age or even your medical condition. You will have to make a decision whether or not to book based on your own circumstances.

Question.
What if my flight is cancelled?

Answer.
Be prepared for disruptions, because of the changing infection rates around the world, governments are bringing in restrictions at very short notice and as a consequence airlines are having to react quickly too! This may cause there to be cancellations to flights, unfortunately when this happens all we can do is rebook the next available flight. If flights are cancelled before you fly out, there are some options open to you.

Question.
Will I have to take a Covid test before I travel?

Answer.
There are restrictions to almost every destination, be prepared to take a covid-19 PCR test, many countries are open to visitors from abroad but they require a negative PCR test between 3-7 days prior to arrival. Also be prepared fill in on-line forms for each country you are visiting. Some countries have restrictions when you arrive, see our previous biog on this topic click here.

Question.
What forms do I need to fill in order to travel?

Answer.
There are a forms to fill in for all destinations, we will tell you which ones you need to fill in and send you the necessary links at the time we send your tickets.

Question.
What is the test and release scheme?

Answer.
The Test to Release for International Travel scheme is for people who need to self-isolate on arrival in England.Under the scheme you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. If the result is negative, you can stop self-isolating.

The earliest you can take the test is 5 full days after you left a place not on the travel corridor list.
The scheme is voluntary and applies to those self-isolating in England only.
If you do not want to opt into the Test to Release scheme, you will need to self-isolate until 10 full days have passed since were last in a place not on the travel corridors list.

Question.
What is Test and Release?

Answer.
“Test and Release” is a scheme where by you can be released earlier from the compulsory quatentine when retuning from a country not on the travel corridor list by taking a private PCR test. Here is a list of private test centres. LINK