Puerto Rico is dropping its COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated American travelers on domestic flights. On-island restrictions will be also eased, announced the state governor via Twitter on Thursday.
The changes to the current entry policy follow a sharp drop in COVID-19 incidences, said the governor.
Effective Feb. 5, fully vaccinated visitors from the U.S. mainland will no longer need to submit a negative Covid test result to be allowed entry.
Unvaccinated visitors who can produce a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours before departure to the island will be exempt from the 7-day mandatory quarantine.
If any of the latter arrives without a negative COVID-19 test, they will be required to perform a post-arrival test and self-isolate until the results come back negative. In case those return positive, they will have to observe quarantine for 10 days.
Unvaccinated tourists who fail to take a test before or after arriving will face fines as well as a 7-day quarantine.
Entry restrictions for overseas passengers will remain unchanged for the time being.
Local businesses will also see a series of COVID-19 restrictions lighten up.
Restaurants and other food businesses will be permitted to operate at 75% capacity indoors, up from 50 percent, and at 100% capacity outdoors. Bars and similar venues will still be required to operate at 50% capacity.
Indoor venues will continue to require guests to show proof of vaccination or a negative antigen or PCR test taken within the last 48 hours to allow them access.
Furthermore, attendees at large events must present proof of vaccination as well as a negative test. Masks are still required indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
The local curfew, which was in effect from midnight to 5:00 a.m., has also been lifted.
All travelers must complete an official Travel Declaration Form prior to departure, regardless of their country of origin or vaccination status.
Regarding COVID-19, the latest Omicron-fueled wave has shown a downward trend in recent days.
In early January, the state was reporting over 14,000 new cases per day. But the number had plummeted to only 1,727 on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.