ORLANDO, Fla. — The Puerto Rico travel industry continues to take big hits because of the coronavirus pandemic.


What You Need To Know

  • Tourists visiting Puerto Rico must quarantine for 14 days

  • Another option: negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before arrival

  • COVID-19 pandemic impacting Puerto Rico significantly 

The island added strict guidelines for tourists who plan to enter the country, which include a negative molecular coronavirus test result 72 hours prior to their arrival, or self-quarantine for 14 days.

Brad Dean, Discover Puerto Rio CEO, said the tourists without a negative test result will be tested at the airport in Puerto Rico and the tests may not be molecular.

"Unfortunately in Puerto Rico, our numbers were so good for so long that the number of testing kits supplied to the island were limited, and now we’re having to adapt to respond accordingly, which is why we’ve been encouraging people to only travel to Puerto Rico if it’s essential," Dean said.

He attributed some of the rise in cases to an increase in people going out more, more tests, and more visitors from hotspots such as Florida, Texas, and New York.

"The COVID-19 crisis is having three times the impact Hurricane Maria had on the island​," Dean said.

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