Many of the people involved in the tourism industry such as hotels, boats, airports, drivers etc are working hard and putting all their efforts together setting up the bio-security and protocols in terms of receiving tourist in to the Galápagos Islands.
On October 22th – 2020 the “COE NACIONAL” the maximun authority in charge of the security for the pandemic in Ecuador declared the new protocols that started few day ago.
Here the link of the authorized laboratories by the Ministry of health in Ecuador.
http://www.calidadsalud.gob.ec/laboratorios-autorizados/
Some important facts and obligations before entering the Galapagos Islands:
- Both national and foreign tourists must present a PCR test with a negative result for coronavirus, as a mandatory requirement to enter Galapagos (printed)
- ID or Passport
- Flight ticket -round trip
- A travel insurance
- A “SALVOCONDUCTO” issue by the travel agency or the hotel -which is a requirement from local authorities here
- A health decalaration formulary
- Transit control card, issue by Consejo de Gobierno at the airport, cost of 20 usd
- The Governing council of the islands has detected that 17 test were falsified by travelers, since last july.
- Covid-19 tests must be carried out up to 96 hours before entering the island province. The test is mandatory, except for children and adolescents under 17 years of age, according to the admission protocol updated by the Provincial Emergency Operations Committee (COE).
- When a person who plans to travel to Galapagos takes the test, the result should be sent directly by email to the Ministry of Public Health and the Government Council. “This will allow us a more exhaustive control, by combining the database sent by the laboratory with the physical copy presented by the traveler”
- The cost of the tests fluctuates between USD 70 and 120
- The total of accumulated cases in the islands is 459, according to the Galapagos COE. In Santa Cruz there are 36 active cases, 18 in San Cristóbal and 0 in Isabela. There are 54 active patients, two more than the last weekly cut. Meanwhile, 169 people are in mandatory preventive isolation (APO) for having had contact with positive cases.
- The provincial COE reported on Monday that the mandatory isolation per trip was also eliminated for residents returning to the islands, with the condition of presenting the PCR test
- Galapagos received an average of 22,000 tourists per month before the pandemic. The reactivation of tourism in the archipelago is still incipient, but it shows “encouraging signs” since August. The Galápagos Chamber of Tourism registers the arrival of 456 tourists in August; in September, 1 232; and in the first half of October, 1,200.
- Travel agencies, cruises and hotels show an attractive number of reservations for December, and it is so good indicator of traveler confidence, although everything will depend on the behavior of the pandemic.
- This 2020 Galapagos will end with about 66,000 visitors, added the first three months of the year, which means a 75% annual drop.
Photo: Adriana yatch – Galatrails’ supplier. (group of passengers on September 2020)
Source: El Comercio -Newspaper https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/galapagos-actualizacion-protocolo-ingreso-viajeros.html.
