Amidst Record Vaccination Numbers, Puerto Rico Drops Nearly All COVID Restrictions

With nearly 86% of its population fully vaccinated and 95.3% with at least one dose, the Island's local government has eased entry requirements and COVID protocols

News provided by

Discover Puerto Rico

Mar 07, 2022, 17:43 ET

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The governor of Puerto Rico announced today the relaxation of local COVID restrictions, including entry requirements for domestic passengers and on-Island mandates. Discover Puerto Rico, the Island's Destination Marketing Organization, is excited to share the new guidelines, which will enhance the travel experience, while continuing to safeguard health and safety of visitors and residents.

Puerto Rican Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced today that, starting March 10th, travelers entering the Island on domestic flights are no longer required to complete an official Travel Declaration form prior to their arrival, nor are they required to provide proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test result. The official mask mandate will also be lifted, and will remain only as a recommendation, as well as the requirement for businesses to request proof of vaccination or negative test from patrons. Individual establishments reserve the right to implement their own requirements surrounding masks and COVID-19 protocols, and visitors are encouraged to contact businesses directly.

The new Executive Order also removes capacity limits for private and public establishments, both in and outdoors, including restaurants, bars, theaters, event venues, and more. Only events with more than 1,000 attendees will have special protocols, which will be determined by the Health Department.

"Traveling to Puerto Rico is becoming easier as the Island continues to lead vaccination efforts and contagion rates continue to decrease,'' said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. "Today's announcement lifting entry requirements for domestic travelers and reducing restrictions on Island, will bring a new travel experience to those visiting. As the pandemic evolves, so will our efforts surrounding the health and safety of visitors and residents."

As a U.S. Territory of 3.2 million people, Puerto Rico has reported a positivity rate of 4%, a considerable decline from the nearly 40% recorded during the Christmas period and the highly contagious Omicron variant. Governor Pierluisi has indicated that more than 95% of the Puerto Rican population has received at least the first dose of the vaccine, nearly 86% have already received the second dose and more than 50% have received the booster shot.

To learn more about the travel requirements and health protocols, please visit Discover Puerto Rico's travel guidelines page.

About Discover Puerto Rico:

Discover Puerto Rico is a newly established private, not-for-profit Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) whose mission is to make Puerto Rico visible to the world as a premier travel destination. The DMO brings prosperity to the people of Puerto Rico by collaboratively promoting the Island's diversity and uniqueness for leisure and business travel, and events. It is responsible for all global marketing, sales, and promotion of the destination and works collaboratively with key local governmental and non-governmental players throughout Puerto Rico's visitor economy and the community at large, to empower economic growth. To discover all the beauty the Island has to offer, visit DiscoverPuertoRico.com.

SOURCE Discover Puerto Rico