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An update from Turks and Caicos Public and Environmental Health

Today the following advisory was issued by Turks and Caicos Islands Public and Environmental Health (Control Measures).  Below is the announcement issued entitled: Travel Advisory # 3 The Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations 2020.

BORDER CLOSURE
The Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Tourism and Tourist Board continue to work along with the
Ministry of Health as we prepare for the possibility of coronavirus (COVID-19) reaching the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Turks and Caicos Islands as of today 20th March 2020 reported zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus.

The safety and security of the traveling population is our major concern. We would like to advise
visitors and travel industry partners of the recent changes in regulations that will affect travel to the
destination. Please take note of the following : The Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations 2020
which will come into operation on 24th March 2020.

Closure of Airports and Sea Ports
(1) For the purposes of preventing, controlling and suppressing the spread of the virus—
(a) all airports shall be closed to regional and international flights;
(b) all sea ports shall be closed to regional and international seafaring; and
(c) no visitor shall be permitted to enter or transit through the Turks and Caicos Islands,
for a period of twenty-one days, commencing on the date these Regulations come into force or until such date as the Governor may be notice specify.

(2) The restriction contained in subregulation (1) does not apply to—
(a) outgoing flights or outgoing ships, as the case may be;
(b) cargo flights or cargo ships, as the case may be;
(c) courier flights;
(d) medevac flights;
(e) technical stops (stops by aircraft to refuel and proceed onward to another destination);
(f) emergency flights approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports Authority; or
(g) a Turks and Caicos Islander or resident returning to the Islands.

(3) A Turks and Caicos Islander or resident who, at the date of commencement of these Regulations, had traveled to the Islands from a place outside the Islands, shall be—
(a) subjected to screening and passenger tracing at port of entry;
(b) subjected to clinical examination at port of entry;
(c) for the purposes of surveillance by the Chief Medical officer, required to remain at home or
such other place of quarantine as specified by the Chief Medical officer and subject to such
conditions as are provided by the Chief Medical Officer, for a period of fourteen days.

Screening Requirements
4. (1) For the purposes of these Regulations, the screening and clinical examination requirements, in relation to a person are requirements to the effect that a person shall—
(a) answer questions about his health or other relevant circumstances (including travel history
and information about other individuals with whom he may have had contact);
(b) produce any documents which may assist a medical officer in assessing his health;
(c) at such time as a medical officer may specify, allow a medical officer, to take a biological
sample the person, including a sample of his respiratory secretions or blood, by appropriate
means including by swabbing his nasopharyngeal cavity, or provide such a sample; and
(d) provide sufficient information to enable the person to be contacted immediately by a
medical officer during such period as a medical officer may specify, where the medical officer
considers that such provision of information is necessary in order to reduce or remove the risk
of the person infecting or contaminating others.

For full details and guidance on the Emergency Powers Regulation COVID-19 20th March 2020
please go to: https://www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/regulations

Please be reminded that: As of March 17th the list of ‘infected countries’ in Regulation 2 of the Public and Environmental Health (Control Measures)(COVID-19) Regulations 2020 has been amended to include the following additional countries which are experiencing sustained in country transmission and may pose a risk to the public health of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This list is based on the CDCs travel advisories which lists the following countries as having widespread ongoing transmission (level 3 warning). The expansion includes the following countries;
a. Austria
b. Belgium
c. Czech Republic
d. Denmark
e. Estonia
f. Finland
g. France
h. Germany
i. Greece
j. Hungary
k. Iceland
l. Italy
m. Latvia
n. Liechtenstein
o. Lithuania
p. Luxembourg
q. Malta
r. Netherlands
s. Norway
t. Poland
u. Portugal
v. Slovakia
w. Slovenia
x. Spain
y. Sweden
z. Switzerland
aa. Monaco
ab. San Marino
ac. Vatican City

In addition to the above screening protocols, travelers coming from such states will be asked to monitor themselves for symptoms over the subsequent 14 days and if they develop symptoms, then immediately call the Ministry of Heath’s Coronavirus hotline: (649) 333-0911 and (649) 232-9444.

The government continues to monitor this fluid situation and will update the general public regularly.

For additional information, please visit www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus, or email [email protected].

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Turks And Caicos Flights Turks Caicos Information

Caribbean Travel News from the Sands Resort

The Sands at Grace Bay would like to introduce Caribbean Travel News, a curated selection of articles about family travel and fun in the sun.

caribbean travel news

How to Get the Best Price on a Holiday Plane Ticket


While travel advice abounds for the best times to buy the most affordable holiday plane tickets, it’s hard to escape reality: Flying during some of the year’s busiest travel periods generally isn’t going to be cheap.

CNN checked with airfare experts on time-honored ways to dull the price pain.

Read more >>

Bonus link: Southwest Airlines is selling one-way tickets for as low as $49 and round-trip tickets for as low as $97

Cheap Solo Travel: Why Women Don’t Need To Break The Bank To See The World


A boundless passion for discovery has taken one woman to more than 100 countries and six continents — and she says that the more she has traveled, the more ways she has found to save money. This travel expert says, “”No matter your age, income level or marital/reproductive status, a solo trip is something every woman should do.”

Read more >>

18 Winter Travel Tips for Flights and Road Trips


Whether you’re driving or flying, successful winter travel is all about planning in advance and taking the weather into consideration.

We all want to get to our destination with minimum trouble and maximum enjoyment. Most importantly, we always arrive safe and sound, no matter what sort of snow, ice, sleet, or freezing rain you may encounter.

With that in mind, here are some winter travel tips and tactics to help you avoid spending the season stuck in airports or on roadsides..

Read more >>

Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo by Nevin Thompson
Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo by Nevin Thompson

The Ten Most Controversial Travel Destinations In The World


Many of us enjoy traveling abroad to experience and explore different cultures. But how many of us really consider where the money we spend abroad ends up, or if we’re lining pockets of regimes that show scant regard for human rights?

Here are ten locations that raise serious questions on the ethics of travel.

Read more >>

What Do You Think?

Do you have a travel tip you’d like to share, or would like to tell us about a memorable trip you’ve taken? Let us know in the comments!

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Turks And Caicos Flights Turks Caicos Information

New Turks and Caicos Flights for 2018

2018 Turks and Caicos Flights
Photo by Tomás Del Coro. Image license: CC BY-SA 2.0 

Now that it’s officially fall, travel season is almost upon us. The days are growing shorter, and the weather is getting colder and wetter… or worse. To prepare you for the months of icy snow and darkness ahead we have some new information on new Turks and Caicos flights. We also have some tips on how to find cheap tickets to save money on your vacation on warm and sandy Grace Bay Beach.

Southwest to Resume Daily Direct Flights to Turks and Caicos

Southwest Airlines has announced they will resume direct flights from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and Caicos starting November 4.

These flights will connect in Fort Lauderdale to and from cities in the eastern half of the United States such as Baltimore, New York, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa and Washington DC.

As well  Southwest will be offering new direct flights from Nashville to Providenciales, with service expected to start in November, 2017. Fares and flight schedules to Providenciales have yet to be announced, so stay tuned!

InterCaribbean Launches New Turks and Caicos Flights

If you’re planning an excursion to Grand Turk and want to see as much of Turks and Caicos as possible, InterCaribbean’s new service may be of interest.

Turks and Caicos-based regional Caribbean airline InterCaribbean Airways has officially commenced its new service from Grand Turk to both South Caicos and Salt Cay.

List of Flights to Turks and Caicos

There are direct flights between Providenciales Airport (PLS) and many cities throughout North America and Canada, including New York, Atlanta, Miami, Toronto and Montreal.

Schedules for fall and winter 2018 are still being determined, so, for daily flights be sure to check the Turks and Caicos Airport Authority, or check out the airlines’ websites for up-to-date information:

City Airlines
NYC JetBlue, Delta Airlines, United Airlines,
Boston JetBlue, Delta Airlines, US Airways
Philadelphia Delta Airlines, US Airways
Charlotte US Airways
Atlanta Delta Airlines,
Miami American Airlines
Toronto Air Canada, WestJet
Ottawa Air Canada
Montreal Air Transat, Air Canada, WestJet
Nassau British Airways, Bahamas Air (direct daily flights)
London (Heathrow) British Airways

If you want more information, as always, be sure to contact our reservations desk.

Tips on Getting Cheap Tickets to Turks and Caicos

For some people, the actual planning process is one of the most enjoyable parts of taking a vacation. It’s always a challenge to hunt down the best flight deals, so here are a few tips:

1. Search for tickets one seat at a time

If you are searching for tickets for your family, if you really want to save money, try searching by one ticket at a time. This is because most automated systems will show you the highest fare for all the tickets. If you try searching one seat at a time, there may be limited seats on sale.

2. Search at midweek

Airlines tend to launch their sales on Tuesdays and end them on Thursdays, so don’t limit your searches to the weekends.

3. Fly on a holiday

It may seem counterintuitive, but the biggest savings can be found by flying on the actual holiday, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. The exception is if you’re traveling over a three-day weekend—then, everyone is looking to fly on the actual holiday, so that’s the perfect time to try and extend your vacation by a day.

4. Fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or a Saturday

Why? Because planes are least full on these days of the week, these flights usually have the lowest fares.

5. Monitor Twitter, Facebook and airline emails

Follow your favorite airlines on social media in addition to signing up for discount online travel company emails.

Plan Your Dream Vacation on Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales

Experience an earthly wonder of sand and sea at our 114-suite luxury resort on Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies.

Family-friendly, yet ideally suited for romantic getaways and wedding celebrations, The Sands at Grace Bay offers a harmonious balance of home comforts and sublime Caribbean elegance – as well as a picture perfect location on the sparkling shores of Grace Bay Beach.

If you are dreaming of a beach holiday in the Caribbean that gives you the flexibility of having your own fully-equipped suite while enticing you with fine dining, pristine grounds and sigh-inducing vistas, we look forward to welcoming you to The Sands at Grace Bay.

Have a travel tip or a question about flights to Turks and Caicos? Be sure to leave a comment!