June 25, 2021 – Grenada is among several Caribbean countries added to the United Kingdom’s Traffic Light Green List, which identifies countries to and from which persons can travel, without facing mandatory quarantine on their return. The updated list, which also includes Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Dominica, will take effect on June 30, 2021. British Overseas Territories – Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands, have also been added to the green list. The revised green list has been hailed as welcomed news by the authorities in Grenada.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, who’d written to the British Prime Minister when Grenada was not included on the green list previously, is particularly pleased with the new announcement. Dr. Mitchell said, “The updated UK travel list helps to validate our concerted efforts and the tremendous sacrifices made, in managing the COVID-19 pandemic here in Grenada. It also substantiates collaborative efforts made at the regional level to advocate for inclusion. The new list provides some measure of hope that Grenada will be able to attract some visitors when the UK opens its borders next month. There is obviously no guarantee that travelers will come, but with a general pent-up desire for travel, and only a limited number of countries included on the green list, there is considerable potential for Grenada to see some British arrivals, come July.”
The Prime Minister added that although the country is keen to welcome more visitors and seriously restart tourism, Government will continue to maintain the COVID-19 protocols to keep both residents and visitors safe. Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Clarice Modeste-Curwen is also extremely delighted with the updated list, commending what she terms “a very wise decision by the UK”. Minister Modeste-Curwen said, “Team Grenada has worked strategically and consistently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we have managed to keep Grenada safe for a very long time. The hard work of the Ministry of Health and by extension, the entire Government, has certainly paid off. We will now utilise our marketing tools as we work to make best use of this opportunity. I certainly look forward to a revival of the tourism industry.”
Grenada’s High Commissioner in London, Kisha Alexander-Grant was among Caribbean diplomats in the UK, who extensively lobbied for regional countries to be included on the green list. Welcoming the news Thursday, she said, “It’s been a labour of love and diplomacy to get on the UK’s Traffic Light System. There has been diplomacy at every level, including Prime Minister Mitchell writing to his British counterpart and advocating for Grenada’s inclusion.
There was significant regional collaboration in this effort with CARICOM High Commissioners sparing no effort in the drive to impress upon UK officials, the overall good management of COVID-19 in most Caribbean countries.”
The UK has committed to revising its Traffic Light System every three weeks.
