[CASTRIES, Saint Lucia] – On Friday, July 2, Category 1 Hurricane Elsa passed the island of Saint Lucia. The hurricane caused no significant damage to the tourism infrastructure and an All Clear order was issued at 9:45pm on July 2 by the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO).
Tourism and airport operations resumed fully this morning. Assessments to ascertain the level of impact across the island have taken place since the storm passed.
Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) reports that Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) and George F.L. Charles Airport (SLU) resumed normal operations at 10am this morning for arriving and departing flights. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines for updates. In an effort to improve processing times, passengers are encouraged to check in early.
The Ministry of Health will temporarily accept negative COVID-19 PCR test results older than five (5) days for arriving passengers to Saint Lucia through Sunday July 4, 2021, only. This temporary waiver is to facilitate travelers affected by Hurricane Elsa. For more information regarding Covid-19 protocols and entry into Saint Lucia, please visit www.stlucia.org/covid-19.
Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association (SLHTA) reports that hotel and resorts fared well with little to no damage to property. A cosmetic cleanup is underway at tourism-related facilities. Hotel guests have been cared for by on-site teams and are safe within their respective resorts.
Power Outages
Wind and rain conditions caused some damage across Saint Lucia and power continues to be restored in areas where outages have occurred. The road network has been deemed safe to traverse by the Ministry of Infrastructure. There are no reports of interruptions to the water supply.
We will continue to keep tourism partners and press abreast of any updates and developments.
