- CURRENT NEWS / Fiji
- 10 December 2020
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WHILE OUTBREAKS OF COVID-19 have been so virulent in other parts of the globe, in health terms, the Pacific has remained largely unaffected. The disruption to daily life has also been less apparent than in numerous other countries, but the economic effect has been as devastating as any.
Allowing VIP Blue Lanes to go ahead on a case by case basis is therefore great news for Fiji and the Pacific region, and demonstrates the sort of creative initiative that has made Fiji a hub for superyachts.
The entry of international superyachts is still being granted on a case-by-case basis, though the process is relatively simple. Negative COVID-19 tests are required for both passengers and crew no more than 72 hours before departure, and all conditions of the Blue Lane Initiative must be adhered to.
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One advantage is that the quarantine period begins from the last port of call, so any uninterrupted days of sailing will be subtracted from the 14 days.
Uninterrupted sailing days are days when no persons have embarked on the yacht or disembarked the yacht, and during quarantine, the crew must only have contact with those considered within the superyacht bubble.
Similarly, owners and guests must produce a negative COVID-19 test inside 72 hours of departure. Temperature and symptom checks are then carried out upon arrival at the airport before guests are transferred to Port Denarau Marina to meet their superyacht. A planned itinerary should also be provided before boarding the superyacht, so visiting parties are advised to contact a local Fijian yacht agent.
Under the VIP Blue Lanes, the owners, guests and charterers are able to get into Fiji on their private jets and meet with their superyacht, which is allowed to cruise – but not disembark – during their quarantine period.
The requirements are as follows:
- engage with a Fiji Yacht agent
- provide a negative RT-PCR test less than 72hrs from departure (this has to be a laboratory test on a letterhead)
- provide an itinerary on where they intend to cruise within Fiji waters
- bear the cost of a shadow boat during their quarantine cruising period
- adhere to all conditions as per the Blue Lane initiative under the Fijian COVID-Safe Economic Recovery Framework.
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