COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR EDWARDS AND COVINGTON TO

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001719

SIPDIS

TOPEC

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC OTRA ST XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR EDWARDS AND COVINGTON TO
TRAVEL TO SAINT LUCIA

REF: STATE 159487


1. Embassy Bridgetown welcomes and grants country clearance to
Michael Edwards, Director of IT Infrastructure, and Eric Covington,
Lead IT Specialist to travel to St. Lucia from October 22-27, 2006.
The purpose of this visit is to consult with Peace Corps staff to
gather requirements for future IT enhancements.


2. Post understands that Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean based in St.
Lucia will arrange for Mr. Edwards's and Mr. Covington's travel and
logistical support.


3. Mr. Edwards and Mr. Covington are scheduled to arrive via Air
Jamaica flight #93 at 6:00PM.


4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter
Saint Lucia. No visa is required if your stay is under six months,
including those travelers arriving with diplomatic or official
passports. For further information, travelers may contact the
Embassy of Saint Lucia, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20016, telephone (202) 364-6792.


5. Departure tax for St. Lucia is XCD$45.00 or USD$17.00.


6. The following is general information pertaining to
transportation, security, and health considerations throughout the
Eastern Caribbean:

Airports and Transportation
--------------
Eastern Caribbean nations are visitor friendly and do not require
visas for U.S. citizens traveling on valid U.S. passports with
return tickets. Commercial taxis are readily available and
reasonably priced at airports throughout the region.

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 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