04 June 2021
ExCo agrees a revised visitor policy for the Falkland Islands
On Monday 31 May 2021, ExCo agreed to revise its policy in connection with the categories of visitors allowed entry into the Falkland Islands. This decision was taken as part of the government’s regular review of its ongoing pandemic management plans. The revised policy will continue to support a controlled approach to change, based on careful assessment of the risks, as well as the need to protect the Falkland Islands community and the operational capacity of the KEMH. The revised policy will also help inform ongoing work in the development of an Exit Roadmap that will seek to provide longer term guidance for the public in terms of a managed and phased staged step down of visitor and quarantine restrictions.
The revised policy now states that in addition to the existing visitor categories, friends of residents will be permitted to visit the Islands if sponsored by an Island resident who is present in the Falkland Islands. These visitors will still be subject to the same quarantine requirements that apply to all other visitors.
It also states that, from 1 October 2021, ‘clean’ expedition ships carrying fewer than 530 passengers will be permitted to visit the Falkland Islands in the austral summer season. However, there will be no change to the current quarantine exemptions for “clean vessels” and each ship must have been at sea for at least fourteen days before any passengers disembark in the Falkland Islands and have no symptomatic passengers or crew. Vessels will also need to agree to a set of rigorous public health conditions that will be closely monitored by the Strategic Pandemic Management Group. Larger cruise ships carrying more than 530 passengers will not be included on the approved visitor list.
Chair of the Legislative Assembly, MLA Mark Pollard, said: “The decision to make these two additions to the visitor policy were taken following a great deal of consideration. It was therefore agreed that with the extra layer of protection that comes from having the vast majority of our community fully vaccinated, it is time that we start to slowly loosen restrictions to visitors.
“Expedition ships will have to meet very strict rules before they are allowed to dock in the Islands, and passengers onboard these ships will be considered ‘clean’, having been at sea for at least fourteen days. This will mark the start of a very small tourist season which many operators here have missed, but I want to make it very clear to the public that the health and safety of our community remains at the forefront of our minds and should we again need to tighten our polices we can and will do so without hesitation.”