Kralendijk- Soon travelers arriving out of the United States and out of The Netherlands will soon not have to undergo testing to travel to Bonaire.

The number of new infections in both countries is going down very fast, while the percentage of the population completely vaccinated is growing fast. The test requirement, prior to boarding a flight out of either Amsterdam or the US, will probably be eliminated as of July 1, 2021. However, this will only apply to those passengers who have already been fully vaccinated. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated passengers, will still have to do a PCR test before their flight to the island.

The situation around Covid-19 is also nearly completely contained on Bonaire. Because of this, the island is going back to Risk Level 1, with only relatively light measures.

Vaccination

The fact that nearly 80% of the adult population on Bonaire has by now been fully vaccinated, is also a big factor in assuring that prevention measures can be scaled back without exposing the island or the population to huge risks. While the percentage of the adult population already vaccinated can be considered high, Public Health doctor Marian Luinstra called on those who had taken the vaccine as of yet, to still do so. “The more the better”, said Luinstra in a press conference on Thursday morning.

Island Governor Edison Rijna thanked residents for their cooperation to get the virus back under control. “We have done a good job and I am proud of the way we as Bonaire managed the crisis. We should however ensure that we will never have to go back to a higher risk level”, said Rijna. Both Rijna and Luinstra stressed the fact that small outbreaks could still occur and that the virus continued to be on the island. “We will have to learn to live with it”, said Luinstra during her presentation. “The virus has not gone away. It is still on the island, but we can now control it”.