Page 16 - AHATA

locAl Saturday 20 June 2020
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Aruba re-opened her borders last Monday

By Caribisch Netwerk
ORANJESTAD – On Monday the 15th of
June, Aruba opened her borders with Cu-
racao and Bonaire, and on July 1st they
will open for Europe, Canada, and the
Caribbean region (with the exception of
the Dominican Republic and Haiti). The
border with the United States of America
will open on July 10th. That is the country
where most tourists come from.

That last decision is controversial because
the other islands in the Kingdom such as
the BES and Curacao will keep their bor-
ders with the US closed due to the corona
risk. The Netherlands’ advice is to travel to
the US if only utterly necessary. The Amer-
ican health authorities’ advice to their
own population is for them not to travel
outside of the country.
Test on arrival
But according to the Aruban health min-
ister, Danqui Oduber, Aruba is following
‘all the advices of the RIVM’. The Dutch
health institute recommended that ev-
eryone should get tested before they
board a flight to Aruba. “But the airlines
said that they would cancel all of their
flights to Aruba and would start flying to
other Caribbean destinations.”

Obligatory COVID-insurance
The minister says that this is the reason
why the test is required on arrival. Tour-
ists are allowed to take a test in their own
country and upload the negative result
before departure. Additionally tourists
have to fill in an immigration form and
health declaration up to 72 hours before
their departure.
A COVID-insurance is also required. “This
costs 15 dollars per person per day and
cover all of the costs for quarantine and
medical care on Aruba. Including inten-
sive care costs”, says Oduber. At this mo-
ment it is being discussed in which cases
travelers are excepted from this manda-
tory insurance.
Normally tourists can’t insure themselves
for a pandemic. But the Aruban govern-
ment in collaboration with local insurance
companies made this special insurance
possible. They did this to ensure that the
island isn’t saddled up with health care
costs of tourists who contract corona.
Those who get tested on Aruba have to
pay 75 dollars, after which they will go
into quarantine for 24 hours at the ac-
commodation they booked. Tourists who
test positive have to go into isolation at a
separate lodging.

At least 50 percent fewer tourists
Aruba is expecting 2000 tourists per week
in July. That is 20 percent of the amount
that visited the island during the same
period last year. Tourism authority ATA ex-
pects that 50 to 70 percent fewer tourists
will visit the island compared to 2019. The
border with Central and South America
will remain closed for now.q