COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO JONES AND MORALES FOR

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001475 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA EAGR BB SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO JONES AND MORALES FOR TRAVEL TO BARBADOS REF: SANTO DOMINGO 02688 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants clearance to Dr. Eloisa Jones, Area Director for USDA APHIS, and Paula Morales, Agriculture Specialist, to travel to Barbados from September 5-12, 2006, for the purpose of attending meetings at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and with Embassy personnel. ¶2. Per reftel, Embassy understands assistance with appointment requests with Embassy personnel is requested and no further assistance is required. Information was not provided pertaining to hotel accommodations or a point-of-contact number while in Barbados. ¶3. Embassy Bridgetown has scheduled the requested meetings. They are as follows: Ambassador Kramer-scheduled for September 8 at 11:00 am; Deputy Chief of Mission Gilory-scheduled for September 8 at 1:00pm; Economic/Labor Attach Strong-scheduled for September 8 at 10:00 am; and USAID Director Wisecarver-scheduled for September 8 at 2:00 pm. ¶4. Entry/departure requirements: Mission policy is that all USG travelers to the region be in possession of a valid passport. Visas are not required for short visits. Visitors are granted up to 28 days upon entry, which can be extended through the Barbados Immigration Department for up to six months. Barbados has a departure tax of 25 Barbados dollars or 13.00 U.S. dollars. ¶5. The exchange rate in Barbados is two Barbados dollars for one U.S. dollar. U.S. currency, traveler's checks, and credit cards are routinely and widely accepted. ¶6. The following is general information pertaining to security and health considerations throughout the Eastern Caribbean: Security -------------- In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of well-established tourist areas is not generally recommended, especially at night. Be vigilant when using public telephones or ATM machines near roadsides or quiet areas. As in many U.S. metropolitan areas, wearing expensive jewelry, carrying expensive objects, or carrying large amounts of cash should be avoided. Visitors should also safeguard valuables while at the beach. While hotels are generally safe, many visitors have experienced loss of unattended items. Hotel burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should be locked in room safes if possible. Health -------------- Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely threat to a visitor's health is sunburn. It takes several weeks to become accustomed to the heat and humidity. Prolonged exposure to the sun, without protection, causes sunburn and may ultimately result in sun-damaged skin or even skin cancer. Sunscreens should be used for protection. In Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines the major health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by mosquito. Dengue cases are most often seen in the summer months. Persons should therefore protect themselves with insect repellent. There is a growing number of HIV/AIDS cases reported. The Eastern Caribbean enjoys clean and safe drinking water. Only routine boosters for immunizations (i.e., tetanus, diphtheria, and oral polio vaccine) are required when traveling to this region. Barbados has the best medical facilities of all the islands in the region and most of the medical specialties have practitioners here. KRAMER