spouse of scouse

Hang on - the government there has made it mandatory for returning citizens etc to quarantine in a facility approved by them, but the people in quarantine have to pay for the room and their food?

satellite_ian

At Sugar Cane Club yes... I think at Paragon there is some food provided....

spouse of scouse

Thanks for that, I'm always interested to see how different countries approach various issues. Returning citizens and permanent residents here have to quarantine at one of the 5 and 4 star hotels that the government has approved as suitable. The WA government is paying for the accommodation and 3 squares a day. The quarantinees (is that even a word?) are allowed to order food in but they have to pay for that themselves.

There have been some rumblings and grumblings from a relatively small number of people here, saying that the government (ie their taxes) shouldn't be used in this manner. But my take on it is, except for very few exemptions for things like medical conditions, everyone has to do the 14 days quarantine at one of these hotels. Even if they're a person/couple/family who could return their own home straight from the airport and self-isolate for the 14 days.

Since they get no choice in the matter I think it's right that the government pays.

uk_grenada

Great, so up to now, one was supposed to wear a mark when entering an indoor public space or in a car with someone - including your household? . This week they wrote a regulation saying one should wear a mask anywhere out of the home, by yourself in a car, going for a solitary walk or jog in the countryside or lying on the beach, or taking a swim in the sea.

Thoughts?

Sunniebgi

Should and have to are 2 very different things.. The powers that be, whomever they are, say you SHOULDN'T wear one while driving in a car.. my husband and daughter walk/run in the afternoons on our road, they may carry a mask but certainly not going to wear one. I go to the beach and have one with me.. but again.. Not going to wear one while walking (although I see some who do) .. lying on the beach (which I don't anyway) and certainly not taking a swim. give me a break) ..

I go to the supermarket.. no mask on till I get out of my car. Gas Station.. i put it on when I'm about to talk to the attendant.. etc. but can't see doing solitary things with one on..

uk_grenada

Sorry - i mean have not should, if you dont everywhere out of your home, its a 500 dollar fine.

The police have already cautioned sole drivers and someone on a beach.Section 2.1



2. (1) A curfew is imposed beginning from 7:00 a.m. on the 9thday of June, 2020 and ending at 7:00 a.m. on the 16th day of June, 2020 and during this period every person shall remain confined to their place of residence (inclusive of their yard space) to avoid contact outside of their household, except as provided in these Regulations or as may be authorised in writing by the Commissioner of Police acting on the direction of the Cabinet.



(2) Freedom of movement may be exercised from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in accordance with these Regulations.



(3) Every person shall, whenever he is outside of his place of residence, wear a mask or suitable covering over his nose and mouth.



(4) These Regulations shall not apply in the case of a medical emergency.

Sunniebgi

i'm sorry.. unless someone is in the Car with you, they can't make you wear one.. and what.. they are going to make you wear one in the sea.. stupid.. really really stupid.. someone needs to show them the WHO Guidlines. I've never come out of my house, if I had to wear one in my car.. I already have issues wearing one. but that's just rediculous.

uk_grenada

Yes they can, they wait by the side of the road, by a queue at a roundabout is a popular place, they stop your car and admonish you or write you a ticket. Happened to someone i know yesterday.

Or on foot - well they patrol all over the place. Yes its dumb IMHO - but its the regulation and police are employed to support those.

spouse of scouse

Our State government is still advising that the general public do not wear masks, only people with covid-19 or those who've come into contact with someone with it. Despite this, my husband and I were in our car today going to an appointment, and the bloke in the lane next to us was wearing a mask. And there was no one else in the car!

satellite_ian

Wearing a mask in the car on your own is the same as wearing a condom in bed......on your own......lol

Sunniebgi

GOOD ONE IAN!!!.. CORRECT!!!

Pistolpete2

Not sure if we are coping with it but we are certainly coming to the realisation that the Eastern Caribbean is NOT going to be able to welcome any meaningful tourism anytime soon. Just received an email from BA offering a voucher for our flight booked for the end of August.

Chicken and egg from what I can see.

In spite of certain islands indicating that they are now open, they didn't actually go through the requisite steps and fully appreciate that 'the market' is going to need to have quarantine-free return to home country available and that is not currently the case or even envisaged for the UK or US.

In fact the US is a classic example of (and justifiably so) Caribbean markets NOT wanting to welcome US visitors at this juncture. Not sure why St Lucia positioned itself to welcome exclusively US visitors.

Quite honestly, as we enter hurricane (low) season, I just can't see airlines such as BA getting even the critical mass in forward bookings to entertain the idea of a restart into this region until, more likely, late October. Of course none of this is helped by the UK's current blinkered (political) idea of imposing 14 day quarantine on all arrivals which has to be got-out-of-the-way before airlines can start to market flights.

So, in the interim, it is possible that hoteliers might put forward enough interest to merit selling charter flights but that is pretty-much IT.

After ALL of the caution demonstrated here in Grenada at the government level, I can't see the government taking any steps to change the status quo while the US and the UK are the way they are and anticipating a second wave (from the NY and London areas in particular) in the next several months.

Will the possibility of inter-island travel be any different? I can't see the islands getting together and doing the necessary leg-work to satisfy their domestic needs regarding testing or certified pre-testing arrivals (at previous check-in) and similar departures for destination islands.

This also pretty-much puts the kibosh on incoming flights from the UK which do brief stop-overs in St Lucia and Antigua with passenger pick-ups for onwards to the terminator/turnaround point. This in turn presents further crewing problems, particularly for BA.

IF the end result of all of this means there is not enough activity planned at Gatwick to warrant BA setting up again then the whole thing gets kicked into the long grass for a while yet and they simply focus on LHR on a limited basis. Of course it isn't only about flight activity - BA still have to deal with their employee negotiations and redundancy levels.

Hopefully, the UK Government helps this move along, though I can't see footballers lobbying for long-haul flights on BA to return. The Government simply doesn't have a clue (on anything)! The US is no better at the Government level. So it's hard to be hard on governments in these little islands.

To the islands, the most meaningful contribution is coming from Bill and Melinda Gates, so it seems. Oh, and the World Bank.

At least Barbados is a centre for repatriation of cruise ship crews and left-behinds, so BGI has had some sort of opportunity to test routines for intercontinental flights and feeders on LIAT. Extraordinary to watch!

Doesn't seem to be any indication that the imposition of wearing masks 100% outside the home was a TYPO in the latest Emergency Powers Regulations in Grenada, so that tells us how cautious things 'are' as of now. When I go out walking, I see nobody wearing a mask, apart from the odd fuddy duddy like me and that is a tad frustrating.

uk_grenada

If it’s a return flight you won’t get a voucher, they just offer to rebook if you request it - don’t....

Pistolpete2

Indeed! already changed the flight once on that basis so will have to book again in due course. Vouchers are accumulating elsewhere for BA and hotels. Not that bothered, but cancelling things is a hassle! Other flights, ferries, Airbnb, hotels.... Anyway, I have ZERO intention of going into quarantine here or anywhere else. Here would actually be near impossible. Landlady would have a fit!

However, I didn't mention it for my mechanics but for the fact that BA were uncertain as to whether they would operate as far away as late August - in the general mention of where the islands are to accommodate tourism.

That, IF the tourists can even get a flight to come here or want to come here in the first place (worst case - do they have sufficient sense of urgency to risk getting sick in a foreign land after taking a long-haul flight, possibly with no travel insurance to cover it).

Plenty of cheaper options closer to home (for Brits) with no likely quarantine hassles anyway. Not sure how that is going to pan out going into 2021 and beyond.

Hence more and more commentators complaining at over-reliance on tourism when there should be a shift to local sustainable agriculture. Not sure that pays the bills in a race-to-the-bottom global industry, but there's no telling people. Depends upon what expectations the population has for a reasonable standard of living and who is going to break the bad news.

uk_grenada

The email you recrived is entirely generic and economic in nature - move people from fixed to variable/higher cost flights, but I dont think so, re a long wait, AA will be operating from 1/7, BA a week or 3 later, especially as St Lucia and Antigua will be open.and for a short while i wouldnt be surprised if they had 1 flight a week or used a hub like barbados - as they did in March. There are some open and some closed hotels, but open includes sandals and within a very short time most of grand anse. Remember - once the airports open, if they cancel the flight, they have to offer an alternative, ive done it myself, AA to Miami then BA to london - their cost, and if you arrive 4+ hours late EU compensation still kicks in at 600 pounds a tine...