WILLEMSTAD - Confusion widely among travelers now that the Curaçao government has again adjusted the travel rules. Until recently vaccinated residents of Curaçao who return from a high-risk country, such as the Netherlands, were exempt from the test, now they must again show a negative PCR or rapid test prior to the trip.

The government released a new country classification list this week. A distinction is now made between countries with very low risk, low risk, high risk and very high risk.

Countries such as Sint Maarten, Suriname and the Netherlands are high-risk countries and a PCR test is now required not older than 72 hours before departure or an antigen test not older than 24 hours before departure. If you have been vaccinated as a resident of Curaçao, you no longer need to take a rapid test 3 days after arrival. Until recently, it was the other way around in this situation: no negative PCR test before departure, but a rapid test 3 days after arrival.

An overview of all requirements for travelers per risk country can be found on the website of the Curaçao government.

There was confusion and misunderstanding about the changes on social media yesterday. The new rules and country list were widely criticized. Especially regarding its practical implementation.

For example, it appears that the adjusted rules and new country classification have not yet been taken into account when digitally completing the mandatory PLC form. For example, the US is now labeled as a low-risk country, while the PLC form still assumes the US as a high-risk country, which means that different - unjustified - requirements are imposed on the necessary tests.

Incidentally, local minor children and young people up to the age of 15 are exempt from the test requirement before or after the return trip to Curaçao if the accompanying parents have been vaccinated or have taken the necessary tests.