UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000171

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABLD AMGT ASEC OTRA BB XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR LACY BRANCH TO
TRAVEL TO BARBADOS

REF: STATE 011979


1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants
country clearance for Project Developers Inc,(sub-
contractors of Stronghold Engineering) personnel Lacy
Branch. The purpose of this trip is to survey current
construction operation during the period Feb. 06 -
Feb.11, 2006. Please be informed that safety shoes are
required to gain access to the site.


2. Hotel accommodations and transportation will be
arranged by Stronghold Engineering Inc.


3. Entry requirements: Valid passport should be used by
all travelers on USG official business. No visa is
required for stays of less and 6 months. For further
information, travelers may contact the Embassy of
Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Avenue N.W., Washington D.C.
20008, telephone 1-202-939-9200.


4. P O C is OBO Project Director, Jorge Vazquez
Tel.1-246-427-6819, Cel. 1-246-243-3335 Fax.1-246-427-

6826.


5. Departure tax for Barbados is $25.00 BDS or
$15.00USD.


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.

Laptops/Palm Pilots may not be brought into the Embassy
without the prior approval of the Regional Security
Office. Personally owned laptops/palm pilots may
not/not be utilized inside the Embassy. USG-owned
laptops may only be used in controlled access areas
(CAA); i.e., areas where classified information is
discussed, processed or stored, if the use certifies
that the computer has been under the personal control
of a cleared American throughout transit. If this
requirement is not met, the laptop can only be utilized
outside of the CAA. USG-owned palm pilots are under
the same restrictions as cellular phones, and may not
be utilized within a CAA.

Health Information
--------------
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 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 repellant.
There is also 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