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Government of the Virgin Islands

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS LAUNCHES ONLINE PORTAL TO PRESCREEN ALL TRAVELERS

Home » U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS LAUNCHES ONLINE PORTAL TO PRESCREEN ALL TRAVELERS

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (July 24, 2020) – The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism announced the launch of phase one of a new online portal that will prescreen and assist with the certification process of all travelers prior to their arrival in the Territory. The goal is to reduce the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Screening Portal facilitates pre-arrival processing, thereby improving efficiency, reducing delays, and providing a more seamless traveler experience.

The development process will next integrate mobile optimization for the portal, followed by a hybrid mobile application launch, and artificial intelligence to automate the processing of laboratory test results from travelers visiting from highly impacted states and territories.

The secure portal, a result of the coordinated efforts of the Office of the Governor, the Virgin Islands Department of Health, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, the Ports of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Department of Tourism can be found at www.usviupdate.com/travelportal .  

The Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands will provide oversight with respect to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance and other best practices to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of user information and personal data, and the overall integrity of the process.

Upon visiting the portal, all travelers will be greeted with a welcome that guides them through a series of screens, including General Information, Terms and Conditions, Traveler Information, and the COVID-19 Traveler Screening Tool. After travelers from highly impacted areas upload their COVID-19 test results, the information submitted will be processed in 24-48 hours and a certification code issued immediately upon completion.  

For most travelers, the portal screening and certification will eventually replace the existing manual procedure, which requires the physical completion and review of the COVID-19 Traveler Screening Tool at the Territory’s ports of entry. Once the passenger arrives, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Virgin Islands National Guard, will process the traveler using the validation generated from the portal in addition to performing temperature checks with a thermal scanner.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to adapt to a rapidly changing operational environment in this ‘Open Doors’ phase of the pandemic,” said Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte, “and we continue to update our practices and procedures as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.” 

The Commissioner applauded the efforts of the interagency teams and stated that the online portal, which prescreens all travelers and validates COVID-19 test results, is another positive step towards keeping residents and visitors safe.

Any traveler aged 15 and older whose home state (state of residence) has a COVID-19 positivity rate greater than 10 percent will be required to produce a negative COVID-19 antigen (molecular/PCR/rapid) test result received within five days prior to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands or a positive COVID-19 antibody test result received within four months of travel to the Territory. Currently, residents of Puerto Rico are also subject to this requirement.

COVID-19 test results are also required from travelers, 15 years old and older, who have spent more than seven days in and are traveling from a state with a positivity rate greater than 10 percent. Positivity rates used are according to data and analysis from Johns Hopkins University: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview . 

For further guidance, the USVI’s Travel Advisory can be reviewed at: https://bit.ly/2CChShf .  

For more information, visit www.usviupdate.com or email [email protected] .

About the U.S. Virgin Islands

For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to  VisitUSVI.com , follow us on Instagram ( @visitusvi ) and Twitter ( @usvitourism ), and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI ). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel – including on-line check-in – making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.

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V.I. Dept. of Tourism Launches Online Pre-Screen Portal for Incoming Travelers

• Staff Consortium
• July 25, 2020

• Reader's Pick

The U.S. Virgin Islands Travel Screening Portal facilitates pre-arrival processing, thereby improving efficiency, reducing delays, and providing a more seamless traveler experience, according to the release.

The development process will next integrate mobile optimization for the portal, followed by a hybrid mobile application launch, and artificial intelligence to automate the processing of laboratory test results from travelers visiting from highly impacted states and territories, D.O.T. said.

The secure portal, a result of the coordinated efforts of the Office of the Governor, the Virgin Islands Department of Health, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, the Ports of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Department of Tourism can be found at www.usviupdate.com/travelportal.  

D.O.T. said the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands will provide oversight with respect to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance and other best practices to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of user information and personal data, and the overall integrity of the process. 

Upon visiting the portal, all travelers will be greeted with a welcome that guides them through a series of screens, including General Information, Terms and Conditions, Traveler Information, and the COVID-19 Traveler Screening Tool. After travelers from highly impacted areas upload their COVID-19 test results, the information submitted will be processed in 24-48 hours and a certification code issued immediately upon completion, D.O.T. said.

For most travelers, the portal screening and certification will eventually replace the existing manual procedure, which requires the physical completion and review of the COVID-19 Traveler Screening Tool at the territory’s ports of entry, according to the department. Once the passenger arrives, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Virgin Islands National Guard, will process the traveler using the validation generated from the portal in addition to performing temperature checks with a thermal scanner.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to adapt to a rapidly changing operational environment in this ‘Open Doors’ phase of the pandemic,” said D.O.T. Commissioner Joseph Boschulte. "We continue to update our practices and procedures as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.” 

The commissioner is said to have applauded the efforts of the interagency teams and stated that the online portal, which prescreens all travelers and validates COVID-19 test results, is another positive step towards keeping residents and visitors safe, according to D.O.T.

Any traveler aged 15 and older whose home state (state of residence) has a COVID-19 positivity rate greater than 10 percent will be required to produce a negative COVID-19 antigen (molecular/PCR/rapid) test result received within five days prior to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands or a positive COVID-19 antibody test result received within four months of travel to the Territory. Currently, residents of Puerto Rico are also subject to this requirement.

COVID-19 test results are also required from travelers, 15 years old and older, who have spent more than seven days in and are traveling from a state with a positivity rate greater than 10 percent. Positivity rates used are according to data and analysis from Johns Hopkins University: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview.  

For further guidance, the USVI’s Travel Advisory can be reviewed at: https://bit.ly/2CChShf.  

For more information, visit www.usviupdate.com or email [email protected] .

Administration and Management

The Administration and Management Unit is responsible for ensuring that the department operates in accordance with local and federal rules and regulations.

This Unit provides daily oversight and management of the entire financial operations of the agency. It administers the department’s annual appropriations and ensures that the disbursals of funds are in accordance with the Virgin Islands Code as it pertains to the acquisition and purchase of goods and services.

This Unit provides support to all divisions and works in tandem with other governmental institutions and private sector organizations to accomplish the department’s mandates. It is charged with providing financial data in response to legislative hearings, public inquiries and at mandated conferences. Periodically, the Administration and Management Unit conduct audits of the financial operations of the department to include its offices operating outside of the Territory. Additionally, the Administration and Management Unit is responsible for overseeing the Department’s human resources functions, such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organizational development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, training, and collective bargaining.

Tourism revenues provide significant economic benefits for the U.S. Virgin Islands economy. As such, the Department of Tourism is focused on enhancing local economic development by marketing our islands as a tourist destination both domestically and internationally in hopes of generating revenue and jobs. Our marketing strategy enables us to increase revenue to the territory by focusing our efforts on areas with the highest potential for return on investment.

In so doing the Marketing Division utilizes all available resources to promote the U.S. Virgin Islands as a premier travel destination. It incorporates the functions and services of the following interrelated program areas: Advertising-which engages potential visitors utilizing a multimedia strategy in print, television, with a focus on digital opportunities: Public Relations-which entails a proactive outreach to the media and members of the travel trade industry throughout the United States and international markets including, Canada, Scandinavia, Italy, the Caribbean and South America: Sales and Product Development- which directly promotes to both the consumer and the travel trade audiences the diverse activities, economic opportunities and cultural experiences offered in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Film Promotion

The Office of Film Promotion is an intricate part of the destination’s tourism mix, contributing millions to the local economy. The division markets and advertise the United States Virgin Islands as a location for the production of audio-visual commodities to include feature films, television programs, commercials, still shoots, and music videos using the Territory as a backdrop. Overall, the film marketing strategy is designed to spur on-island spend that benefits the local economy, as well as projects that favorably depict the destination to potential visitors.

With the passing of the S.T.A.R.S. Act, the Department anticipates increased activity that will generate significant exposure for the islands, provide a consistent livelihood for the industry support services and develop new career opportunities for the U.S. Virgin Islands youth.

Tourism Administration

Convention and visitors’ bureau - stt/stj/stx.

The Convention and Visitors’ Bureau focuses on improving the quality of experience for visitors in a coordinated manner. It is primarily responsible for travel and tourism product awareness to visitors.

For example, members of the unit provide information about on-island direct support services, and activities to current and prospective visitors through the disbursement of informational brochures, maps, pamphlets, and other promotional materials. Additionally, the division ensures that visitors are thoroughly welcomed to our shores by exposure to varying cultural entertainment, local treats, and activities. To provide a comprehensive service, the Bureau’s visitor’s center provides information and advice about commercial products relating to accommodation, transportation, and leisure. The unit works collectively with other divisions and agencies to assist in resolving complaints, coordinating and orchestrating tours and other hospitality functions. They also assist in crisis situations, participate in inaugural activities for maiden voyages or new airline route to the Territory and the collecting of valuable statistical information which aid in improving the Department’s Marketing strategy.

Additionally, the Bureau prepares the bi-annual cruise ship schedules and handle a substantial volume of on-island requests, responding to a wide variety of queries and requests for information relating to the Virgin Islands.

Offshore Activities​

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