USA & UK lift travel ban on VI following Hurricanes Irma & Maria
The US government at the time told the world not to travel to the VI because the islands had faced a natural disaster that made roads impassable, security comprised, many areas without water, food and electricity, now suggested to its citizens to travel there.
"Travel to VI"- Department of State
Following months of lobbying by the Smith Administration and providing evidence of much-improved conditions in the islands, the American State Department last week Tuesday, April 10, 2018, lifted the band and are now telling American citizens to travel to the VI as only normal preconditions apply.
The USA has a system from 1 to 4 in its travel advisory. 1 is the green light to travel, 2 ask its residents to exercise increased caution, 3 reconsider travel and 4 red alerts, do not travel. The State Department in lifting the travel ban has given the Territory a 1.
United Kingdom lifts ban
A check today on the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel warning webpage updated April 12, 2018, stated that “Good progress has been made and the Recovery and Development Agency Act has been passed, which paves the way for financing the long-term recovery.”
It is unclear if this was a condition to lifting the travel ban to the Territory. British officials did not respond immediately to our phone calls and emails on this question.
However, the British stated, "Electricity has been restored on Tortola and its sister islands of Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke to more than 99 percent of the pre-hurricane network. Most roads are passable and work is ongoing to repair the remainder. The main port is fully functioning, the local shops are open and there are no restrictions on available food items. Peebles Hospital is fully functioning."
Double standards?
The UK gives its overseas Territory a good report encouraging its citizens to travel to the VI. It’s unclear how other places like Canada has responded and why the USA never placed Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) on its travel ban, two islands in some cases more devastated than the VI.
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12 Responses to “USA & UK lift travel ban on VI following Hurricanes Irma & Maria”
Come on down folks. Don’t mind the lack of electricity or water or the senseless shootings or the general S$%& country we are trying to be. All good here.