Aruba Open For Happiness Again!

Aruba, like the rest of the world, has been hit hard by the Coronavirus outbreak, but you can’t keep such a happy island down for long and Aruba is now fully open, free of restrictions for everyone and is ready and willing to welcome visitors once again!

This is a paid article written in partnership with the Aruba Tourism Authority UK with products or services supplied by them. Full editorial integrity is maintained at all times. The views and opinions expressed are entirely the authors own based on personal experiences when travelling and are honest and factual without any bias.

*This article has been updated on 30/03/22 to reflect current changes.

Aruba is one of my favourite places in the Caribbean, I genuinely do love this happy little island so much and I am really excited to see this amazing destination open up and start to get back to normal!

Aruba Is Fully Open.

Now that the pandemic is largely over and the world has started to get back to relative normal, Aruba has done the right thing, followed all best practice and dropped all Covid entry restrictions for all travellers.

The official statement from Aruba is very clear. Effective March 19th, 2022, all travellers, regardless of vaccination status, will no longer be required to present a COVID-19 negative test result or proof of vaccination.

That’s right, there are no entry restrictions, at all. No pre or post departure tests, no quarantines, nothing. And perhaps most importantly of all, there is no discrimination based on vaccination status, which means that everyone is welcome and Aruba is fully and completely open!

Are There Any Entry Requirements?

Specifically for Covid, no there are not. They have all gone, and good riddance to them too!

All travellers will still be required to complete Aruba’s online embarkation/disembarkation before arrival of course, which is part of the country’s normal digital customs and immigration process, and Aruba Visitors Insurance is still required for all visitors, but just to repeat myself, there are no covid19 restrictions!

Keeping Travellers Safe.

So with the dropping of all restrictions it may be understandable that some travellers may be a little wary or nervous about travelling again, but let me reassure you that there is no need to be worried at all.

The risk of covid19 to the absolute majority is very low, Aruba itself is relatively safe with a low numbers of cases, and the destination is still taking the same reasonable and sensible infection prevention control measures that they have always taken. Although measures such as screens, temperature checks and masks are no longer mandated, businesses still perform stringent health and safety measures in accordance with normal infection prevention control to minimise the spread of not just COVID19, but any other common illness with a similar transmission route, including diarrhoea and vomiting.

What About Individual Tourist Businesses?

Just because restrictions and mandates are ending, that doesn’t mean individual businesses have suddenly stopped looking after travellers!

Aruba Sunset Beach Studios is an awesome place to stay in Aruba, and still hold to the fundamental health and safety principles of Aruba’s Health and Happiness code. Cleaning and surface decontamination before guests arrive is second to none and they still have contactless check in, more spacing in the garden and pool areas.

And if you want an awesome, healthy smoothie while you are social distancing, check out Eduardo’s Beach Shack who are now offering a safe, socially distanced pick up and delivery service between 0800 and 1400 for those who still want to minimise contact. They have upgraded their sanitisation procedures for all staff and you HAVE to try the acai berry smoothie!

The Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort are continuing to clean and sanitise each room before guests arrive to high infection prevention control standards and sealing them until they are used, and since contaminated surfaces are one of the biggest sources of route transmission they have made the check in process and guest stay as touch free as possible.

Divi Resorts’ new Clean Check programme provides enhanced hygiene standards and health and safety measures at all its four Aruba properties. Clean Check symbols will be seen throughout the resorts, from unit door seals confirming a room is ready for occupancy to signage with helpful distancing and sanitation guidelines.

Manchebo Beach Resort has increased staff training on infection control and increased the cleaning frequency of all guest areas, especially frequent touch points like handles, front desk services and public toilets, and has placed hand sanitizers throughout the resort. And as an extra bonus for traveller’s reassurance it has even upgraded its travel flexibility policy to allow travellers to book and cancel with up to 24 hours notice, which as I said before I really can’t stress enough is the mark of a brand really looking after travellers with things so currently changeable.

Boardwalk Boutique Hotel is great for not being on top of other guests and keeping your distance. Standalone and semi standalone casitas, the private areas of the pool, no elevators or shared staircases and dedicated beach are already perfect for social distancing and ensuring that your accommodation is relatively self contained, but their health and safety plan, implemented during the pandemic is still ensuring high levels of infection prevention control. Sanitising stations have been made available in all public areas, the seating areas at the pool have been separated, sanitised and have to be reserved in advance, check in and check out has been shifted online, with a mobile key to access the property, and as a gated property, only guests and staff are allowed access. With each casita offering it’s own kitchen and grocery delivery available, you can self isolate and keep yourself contained as much as you want to as well.

Like other properties, the Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort has also focused on increased sanitation procedures and staff training.

You Can Do Your Part Too.

Aruba is fully open. It is absolutely safe and risk is low, and the fact mandates are gone does not mean businesses aren’t still doing all they can to ensure risk to travellers is minimised as much as possible and to make sure that your travels through this amazing island are as safe and healthy as they can be.

As a qualified nurse specifically trained in this area, I can tell you they really are managing infection control extremely well.

But you have to do your part too.

As much as the authorities and businesses in Aruba are doing as much as they can, travel health and hygiene has always been about personal responsibility. It is all about the steps YOU take to keep yourself safe from infection. That’s how I as a qualified nurse look after my own health, because at the end of the day your health is your responsibility and as good as everyone else’s cleaning procedures may be, only you can be 100% sure that the steps you take are good enough.

The best way to reduce the risk of becoming infected with any virus, bacteria or germs is to be clean and hygienic yourself. And it isn’t just COVID 19, cholera, shigella (bacillary dysentery), diarrhoea, cryptosporidium and many more can be passed either directly or indirectly via the faecal oral route. And yes, that is exactly what it sounds like.

I know this sounds like common sense and I am sure you hold yourself to some pretty high standards, the problem is trusting everyone else to do the same, and it is safer to assume most people just don’t have the best hygiene standards if any at all. And yes, I’m looking at you, that person who I watched leave an airport bathroom stall without washing his hands but still play around with the mask on his face!

How many people lick their fingers when reading a book, touch dirty surfaces all day or don’t wash their hands after using the toilet or before handling food? When was the last time you wiped and cleaned your phone? I have been the infection control lead and spent some time on infectious disease units in my previous career and even in that environment we had to remind visitors about the absolute basics before they could even enter!

This is why taking responsibility for your own health and hygiene is so important. If you do that, if you break the route of transmission to yourself with your own actions, it matters a lot less what other people do.

Seriously, if everyone was better at personal hygiene every single day COVID 19 would not have been declared a pandemic and we wouldn’t have a ‘flu season’ of Influenza every year. 

So how do you maintain a strong personal hygiene regime?

• Wash your hands. Often. All the time. This is seriously the best and most important thing you can do to break the route of infection. I very, very rarely get sick because I am diligent with this.
• When you can’t wash your hands use alcohol gel in between.
• Wipe down all the surfaces of your personal screens, phones, laptops and tech regularly.
• Don’t just rely on cleaning staff, wipe down surfaces you will have to touch for an extended period of time too such as your plane TV screen or tray table, hotel TV remote or anything that may harbour germs.
• Don’t be paranoid or overly worried, but just be aware of what you are touching when out and about. If you need to take public transport and are touching handrails or ticket machines a lot, try to wash your hands as soon as possible afterwards and avoid touching your face in the meantime. Remember that route of transmission!
• Stay socially aware. Now this doesn’t mean slavishly stick to 2 metres away from everyone at all times, you have to use your common sense judgement here. That rule is designed to avoid the spread of germs through coughing and sneezing, so passing someone on the street or sitting at a half full restaurant is very likely to be safe providing the waiter doesn’t sneeze cough or spit all over you, but being in a lift with someone who is very obviously symptomatic, ill and coughing everywhere may mean you may want to get the next one. And wash your hands after touching the buttons. Just use your common sense.
• And no, face masks aren’t necessary at all. If you want to wear one, fine, but it is hardly necessary.

Aruba Is As Safe As You Make It.

The threat of COVID19 is declining on a daily basis, and world travel is starting to open up again as that risk declines. Aruba is as safe a destination as you can get, it is taking every reasonable precaution that it can to make your visit as safe and risk free as possible, and it is up to you to do the same. If you do there is no reason at all why you can’t visit Aruba and have an awesome, safe, clean and healthy time.

Aruba is fully open, and I cannot wait to get back to this happy little island!

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