Category: Island Life

The Bolongo Bay Beach Resort in St Thomas Is Open Again

 

There are some signature stops for those who love the Caribbean; some sought-after places that are more than just hotels. 

Since 1974, the beloved, family-run Bolongo Bay has been just that — from the iconic Iggie’s Beach Bar to the weekly “Snorkel Booze Hunt,” it’s been one of the region’s capitals of easygoing fun — and an exemplar for the authentic Caribbean hospitality experience. 

And now, following the US Virgin Islands‘ reopening of tourism last month, the resort is open again. 

The 75-room beachfront resort reopened its doors last week, with new health and safety protocols but the same fun-loving spirit. 

“If anybody can make this fun and goofy and happy, it’s Bolongo,” owner Richared Doumeng told Caribbean Journal. 

And a huge part of that has been the response by the staff to the new realities of travel in the COVID age, he said. 

“The staff has been unbelievable,” Doumeng told Caribbean Journal. “I realized from the get go that we had to make it as good for the people we work with as possible, and it’s working. If you make it worth it for your co-workers and you do a good job protecting them, eventually it works with the guests.”

And Bolongo’s layout is a natural fit for the kinds of socially-distanced, outdoor experience travelers are looking for right now, Doumeng said. 

st thomas bolongo bay open
The beach at Bolongo.

“I am so happy we are an open-air facility,” he said. “The hallway is open-air, we have individual air conditioner — at dinner, at the pool, we are naturally spread out — we have a 900-foot beach with 75 rooms.”

While the hotel’s facilities are still closed to non-guests, on-property guests have access to all of the Bolongo signatures, including aforementioned “Snorkel Booze Hunt,” which sees staff hide bottles of rum out in the bay for guests to snorkel and find. 

st thomas bolongo bay open
Bolongo Bay from the sea.

The relaunch of Bolongo is a significant step for the US Virgin Islands’ tourism sector, which officially reopened for travelers at the beginning of last month. 

And as the hotel reopens, Doumeng said the formula remains the same —  the reason why the resort has become such a popular spot in the USVI. 

“People care about us because we care about them, and it really does work,” he said. “We’ve gotten so much kindness back and we know it’s paid off — it really is the human part of the deal, it’s the people.”

For more, visit Bolongo Bay. 

The post The Bolongo Bay Beach Resort in St Thomas Is Open Again appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Island Life

Corbella: ATCO’s ‘big win’ is even bigger for Puerto Ricans

… an even bigger win for Puerto Ricans on many levels. After all … ATCO’s first foray into Puerto Rico. Right after hurricane Maria, ATCO …

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EIN PR news, Island Life

Scotland announces countries exempted from quarantine

Scotland has announced its list of 57 countries exempt from mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival into the country.

The list is similar to UK’s Travel Corridor Exemption released earlier this week, minus Spain and Serbia.

Travel industry leaders in the country asked the Scottish government to include Spain on that list, citing that 60% of leisure flight arrivals are from Spain.

“It’s important we work quickly to bring the travel advice issued today in line with the rest of the UK. We’ve requested a meeting with the Scottish Government to discuss what further measures could be put in place that would allow the lifting of restrictions and prevent airlines from cancelling routes to what is one of Scotland’s most popular and important tourism destinations,” said Derek Provan, CEO of AGS Airports to insider.co.uk

However, the Scottish government said that it cannot lift the restrictions on people arriving from Spain and Serbia due to the higher prevalence of COVID-19 and a recent outbreak respectively in the two countries.

From 10 July, the quarantine for those arriving in Scotland will not be imposed if they come from countries included in the travel corridor list.

Those who have stopped off in a country not on the list will still be required to self-isolate for two weeks, as will travellers arriving into Scotland via an English port or airport if they have been in a country which is not on the exemption list.

All inbound travellers, whether visitors or UK residents, must provide a passenger locator form before their arrival into the country.

The measure is not necessarily reciprocal; for example, although travellers won’t have to self-isolate when returning from New Zealand, there is very little chance of them gaining entry there in the first place.

The list of exempt countries will be reviewed on 20 July.

Countries exempted from quarantine on arrival to Scotland

  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba
  • Croatia
  • Curaçao
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Polynesia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Réunion
  • San Marino
  • Seychelles
  • South Korea
  • St Barthélemy
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Pierre and Miquelon
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turkey
  • Vatican City
  • Vietnam

Ireland is already exempt as part of the common travel area, as are the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The 14 British Overseas Territories will also be exempt.

The post Scotland announces countries exempted from quarantine appeared first on Caribbean News Now!.

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Island Life

HIV infection rate in the Caribbean sees decline

But COVID-19 risks blowing HIV progress way off course

A recent report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) revealed that the new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the Caribbean has decreased by 29 percent since 2010, while AIDS-related deaths have also gone done to 37 percent.

This is a great progress, according to the UNAIDS, since the incidence:prevalence ratio of the region went down to 3.9 percent in 2019 from 6.1 percent in 2010.

“Great strides continue to be made in the Caribbean towards the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission, with seven countries achieving revalidation,” the 384-page report said.

The report further showed that “the Bahamas and Barbados remain the only countries that have national programmes
providing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through the public health sector.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines PrEP as a method for people, who do not have HIV but who are at very high risk of getting HIV, to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day.

Meanhwhile, nongovernmental organizations are providing PrEP in the Dominican Republic, and it is available in Jamaica and Suriname through the private sector and pilot studies.

UNAIDS Caribbean Director Dr James Guwani, meanwhile expressed his concern over the coronavirus pandemic that has apparently slowed down the timeline for HIV/AIDS countermeasures in the region.

“We were not on track to meet the 2020 targets now; COVID-19 increases the crisis that may blow us off the course. The report urges us to leverage HIV leadership and lessons against this new pandemic threat,” Guwani was quoted as saying by the Jamaican Observer.

The recent UNAIDS report also said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the AIDS response and could disrupt it more. A 20% disruption could cause an additional 110 000 deaths.”

Challenges ahead

The high levels of migration remains as an ongoing challenge for HIV responses in the Caribbean, said the report.

“Government health systems are also struggling to absorb programmes that are traditionally funded by international donors, including HIV prevention and key population focused initiatives. Innovative financing strategies are needed to
ensure sustained progress,” it added.

UNAIDS suggests that the Caribbean nations must scale-up effective strategies to ensure early presentation for antenatal care and continuity of treatment for pregnant women living with HIV. These should include those in poverty and those who are migrants or survivors of gender-based violence.

The post HIV infection rate in the Caribbean sees decline appeared first on Caribbean News Now!.

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Island Life

American Airlines Resumes Saint Lucia Flights

 

American Airlines has returned to Saint Lucia. 

The airline relaunched its flights from Miami to Saint Lucia on July 9, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The world’s largest airline is operating the once-daily service on Boeing 737-800 aircraft. 

Saint Lucia first reopened its doors to tourists on June 4. 

The destination recently updated its COVID-19 travel protocols, with a requirement that travelers provide proof of negative COVID-19 test within seven days of their arrival in Saint Lucia. 

The flight from Miami International Airport to Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport takes about three hours and 35 minutes. 

For more, visit Saint Lucia’s COVID page. 

— CJ

The post American Airlines Resumes Saint Lucia Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Island Life