With 12 Testing Facilities Across Three Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Makes it Easy for Travelers to Meet the New CDC Rules
The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the exclusive tourism authority for the Turks and Caicos Islands, is pleased to announce that the destination has exponentially increased its COVID-19 testing facilities in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new order. The CDC’s updated requirements, which go into effect on January 26, 2021, mandates all air passengers arriving to the United States from a foreign country must be tested no more than three days prior to entry to the United States and present negative results prior to boarding their flights.
All travelers now have the option of getting tested at any of 12 different locations across three islands, many of which are located on-site at resorts for enhanced ease and accessibility. Additional testing sites are expected to be added throughout the sister islands.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands’ addition of new testing sites makes it easy and convenient for travelers to abide by the CDC’s new rule without disrupting their vacations,” said Hon. Ralph Higgs, Minister of Tourism for the Turks and Caicos Islands. “We are proud to meet the latest requirements, in conjunction with our valued partners, to ensure the ongoing safety of our residents and guests along with a seamless travel experience.”
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands has worked closely with its valued private sector partners to ensure that the destination has well above the capacity to meet the current testing load for visitors and residents alike. The following centers are open and approved to provide travel-related testing and are now accepting appointments.
· Amanyara (Providenciales), 1-649-941-8133
· Associated Medical Practices (Providenciales), 1-649-946-4242
· Beaches Resort (Providenciales), 1-888-BEACHES
· Carolina Medical Clinic (Providenciales), 1-649-9464367
· COMO Parrot Cay (Parrot Cay), 1-649-339-7788
· FamilyCare Medical Services Ltd (Providenciales), 1-649-431-3262
· Flamingo Pharmacy (Providenciales), 1-649-941-4527; Offering Services Starting February 1st
· Grace Bay Club (Providenciales), 1-649-946-5050
· Grace Bay Medical Centre (Providenciales), 1-649-9415252
· OMNICARE (Providenciales), 1-649-9415050
· Sail Rock Resort (South Caicos), 1-649-946-3777
Seven Stars Resort (Providenciales), 1-649-333-7714
In addition to the CDC’s rules for testing prior to flying to the US, the Turks and Caicos Islands still requires negative COVID-19 PCR test results within five days prior to arrival to the destination as a part of TCI Assured, a quality assurance pre-travel program and portal.
TCI Assured lives on the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board website and has been in effect since the reopening of borders on July 22, 2020 to certify international travelers for arrival. A travel authorization is provided only after visitors have provided proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test results from an accredited healthcare facility within five days prior to their arrival to the destination, proof of medical insurance, and a completed health screening questionnaire. A 14-day quarantine period is not required for visitors once they have tested negative for the virus.
Upon arrival to the airport, visitors can expect to present their TCI Assured certifications to local authorities, all of whom wear personal protective equipment, before proceeding through immigration where temperature checks for each traveler will also occur.
The Turks and Caicos Islands have received the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel Council, which denotes that its existing safety protocols align with the core requirements established by the WTTC, along with governments and health experts, which are designed to standardize safe travel. These include, but are not limited to, urging proper physical distancing, enforcing capacity limits, requiring masks in public places, ensuring proper hand washing techniques and sanitation, among other core ‘Safe Travels’ requirements.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board encourages travelers to consider the Turks & Caicos Islands as a vacation destination for 2021. The Islands’ award-winning hotels and resorts, private villas, restaurants and bars, and tour operators have reopened and / or are accepting bookings.
The Turks and Caicos Islands – home to the “World’s Best Beach” – is a coveted five-star luxury vacation destination for leisure, business, and notable guests from around the globe. With nine main islands and about 40 small islands and uninhabited cays, the destination is inherently safe for travel in this new paradigm of physical distancing, given its expansiveness, stunning outdoor environment, privacy, spacious resort accommodations, and unique portfolio of extraordinary private villas and private islands vacations.
