UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001730

SIPDIS

TOPEC

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC OTRA ST DO SC GJ AC XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR SHOUBA TO TRAVEL TO BARBADOS,
ST. LUCIA, DOMINICA, ST. KITTS, GRENADA, AND ANTIGUA

REF: LIMA 3813


1. Embassy Bridgetown welcomes and grants country clearance to Peace
Corps Safety and Security Officer Neil Shouba to travel to Barbados,
St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts/Nevis, Grenada, and Antigua/Barbuda
from o/a October 1-16, 2006. The purpose of this visit is to serve
as the Technical Advisor to the Safety and Security Coordinator.


2. Post understands that Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean based in St.
Lucia will arrange for Mr. Shouba's travel and logistical support
throughout the region.


3. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter
the countries of the Eastern Caribbean. No visa is required if your
stay is under six months, including those travelers arriving with
diplomatic or official passports.


4. 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. Holders of
diplomatic passports are not required to pay airport departure
taxes.

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