Govt: Travel Authorisations, Exemptions & More
The Government said they are “aware of persons who are having issues with getting Travel Authorisations resulting in several people not being able to board flights to Bermuda.”
A spokesperson said, “It is important to note that no Bermudian will be denied the ability to return home, and the Government has told the airlines serving Bermuda this directly. The International Air Transport Association [IATA] has the information that a Bermudian cannot be denied the right to travel home.
“Both visitors and residents must apply for a Bermuda Covid-19 Travel Authorisation 1 to 3 days before departure. Travellers arriving in Bermuda without a Travel Authorisation, causing one to be completed upon arrival, will result in a Travel Authorisation fee of $1,000.
“Under the Quarantine Act, failure to pay the $1000.00 Travel Authorisation fee will result in a penalty. The fee for a Travel Authorisation completed in advance as required, is $75.00. Travel Authorisation applications can be found here – https://www.gov.bm/applying-bermuda-travel-authorisation
“It should be stressed that all persons should ensure they complete the Travel Authorisation with all necessary documents. This includes their test results, vaccine certificates or hotels or exemption confirmations. It is essential to have all of this information before starting the TA process.
“If you do not have all of the information and your TA is rejected, please call Covid-19 helpline at 444-2498 for assistance. The helpline operates from 8 am until 8 pm every day. The helpline is currently experiencing delays and every effort is being made to promptly answer calls and provide assistance. The Ministry of Health will be adding more resources this week to better assist travellers.
“To get an exemption from the quarantine hotel requires completing the online form as soon as possible. Failure to complete the Travel Authorisation correctly and entirely will delay entry into Bermuda. The exemption application can be found here: https://forms.gov.bm/hotelexemption.
“These recent changes have been implemented to further protect our community from the coronavirus and its variants,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson. “Bermuda must have strong protection at our borders so that we can move beyond the pandemic.”
You can find more information on the links below and also on our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.
- All: Our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- Bermuda Stats: Chart of testing stats here
- Vaccinations: Data covering vaccinations here
$1000.00 You guys have lost it, wonder if the same for friends and family
Should have got vaccinated, no sympathy, you knew the damn rules.
People like you need to hurry up and go to hell! Tyrant
The ridiculous rule is the one where a minor coming home alone has to quarantine for 14 days, unless they are with a vaccinated parent, when they wait 1 day for their airport test and are free to move around.
Which genius thought that up??
Unaccompanied minors are exempt from the hotel quarantine.
The Min Nat Security would responsible for that. She probably signed it without reading it, as usual.
For the Gov to think that airport agents have time to go to the notes page to look up information is ridiculous. Also many agents just wont go the extra step. That is really not their job… they are front line workers just trying to get the flight gone and move to their next gate.
Get it together Gov…this is ridiculous
Checking that you have the correct paperwork for the flight and the country to which you are flying IS the job of the check-in agents. It’s pretty much the definition of their job.
This is all laughable. Mandatory Quarantine is laughable. Dep. Spkr. Burgess and his Parliamentary colleagues just now making noise about it is laughable. $1,000 for a TA application on arrival is laughable. Were was MP Burgess when this idea was first considered in caucus or presented to the community? Or was it ever raised in caucus? Conspicuously quiet they were. All sounds quite Trumpian. Are the MPs afraid to challenge the Premier? That is, after all, their job–to explore the pitfalls as well as the advantages of potential legislation, not to blindly co-sign everything which comes across the table.
This conversation of the constitutional right of Bermudians to travel home is not new fodder. It should have been remedied ages ago.
To remind, it is the duty of the elected representatives to do just that–represent. In respect of this piece they are failing in that responsibility.
#stayaheadofthecurve #owngoal #callanelection
I Totally Agree, Sailboat. I have put forth comments previously stating that all the issues surrounding this Government’s Covid Policies #covid, Quarantine-travel are all laughable and actually Belittling this Government.
I will add, government Insurance , unlike other insurance, does not recognize doctors that treat and prescribe natural Medicine. All this Government is after is pharmaceutical drugs and people feeding Gov’t money that only treat symptoms and not the disorder/Disease. They are a bunch of low-life Hippocrates. I know, I’ve had to deal with this rigged-up system and believe me, they will TRY to burn you every time.
I have NO FAITH or TRUST in this miserable and sick government. Therefore I LAUGH at THEM! And spread their miserable reputation, warning people what to do to get around their stupidity so they are informed and not waist as much time and effort when dealing with medical scenarios.
The few programs by Gov’t that seem beneficial are undermined by just a couple nasty ones like mentioned above. This is what causes hate to flourish with people. Elected leaders that abuse their power. Bermuda is on a track that is very dangerous to the average citizen.
Mandatory quarantine isn’t laughable, it’s inevitable.
And its no secret, it’s because the selfish decided not to vaccinate – and that’s on them.
But don’t start wailing, you knew the options.
It’s all to do with looking after the pension guys. Try to stay popular within the constituency and rack up the days as an elected member. That pension is looking mighty good Burgess.
Well done drain surgeons. People can’t even get home to there island home.
Do as I say not as I do
Protect the borders so everyone else can live freely!
“The helpline is currently experiencing delays”–well, that’s one thing they got right. They sent me a reminder yesterday of an upcoming Covid test for travel, but the date was incorrect. I tried calling four times. The first time, I was 30 in the queue, and when I got to number 3, the line cut off. On my other tries, I was, variously, number 29, 24 and–this morning–40. Please, do better.
Get ready for safe key 2.0
Amazing…. If you do not have a travel authorization then you don’t get on the plane. It is such a simple policy and is amazing that the govt won’t stand firm ( actually do they ever stand firm in anything?!?). I am a Bermudian and fully support travel restrictions for non vaccinated people—- personally I don’t think a non vaccinated person should even think of traveling
So than why isn’t everyone subject to supervised quarantine. The vaccine helps with symptoms it does not stop you from getting and passing on COVID. If someone can test positive that means they have COVID so what is to stop them vaccinated or not from having it mutate or pass on…
I thought being vaccinated was a choice but Government is clearly trying to make life difficult for those who aren’t vaccinated. If one group needs supervised quarantine than both groups do. We are all adults and can quarantine effectively at our own discretion.
I’m all for quarantines but no one should be forced to go out of their way to pay extra fees for it when they are capable of following guidelines on their own, if it be in there own home or a guest home. Just like the first time Bermudians went into lockdown and travelers were asked to quarantine. Honestly I’d rather just have vaccinated people pay $300 for the tracking bracelet and not an unnecessary $4000 fee.
Government is essentially bullying locals into getting vaccinated or risk getting basic rights taken from them over a drug that is NOT FDA APPROVED, it is EMERGENCY APPROVED. As in unstudied but effective for the most part.
And my question to Government is;
- Will you be held liable for any long term health issues people face in future if they get vaccinated and have a bad reaction that can effect them for the rest of their lives?
- Can you even confirm what the long term side effects are for someone taking the vaccine or no because it’s hardly been a year?
- Can you be 100% certain that a vaccinated person who tests positive can’t end up mutating another strain anyway?
- What can you tell me about the development of babies born to vaccinated parents has there been any studies throughout the development stages or not as of yet because it’s hardly been a year?
You shouldn’t be able to force any one into taking anything because people have concerns. At least people in either boat people can say that they had a choice and wasn’t forced into one or the other.
100% correct.
Why does any Bermudian, vaxed or not, require a TA. We cannot be denied re entry to our own home. This is nothing but a $75 fleecing. Where does the money go?
Burt & his cronies have lost the plot. Are people actually getting paid to come up with this nonsense?
Yes the unvaxed need to be treated differently WRT testing etc. but for the vaxed it should be back to travel as normal without all of the testing.