COUNTRY CLEARANCE TO TRAVEL TO DOMINICA FOR DR. CHARLES

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001830 SIPDIS FOR EGAT/ESP - M. GRIFFIN-WILLIAMS EGAT/ESP - CHARLES BARBER SIPDIS AIDAC ¶E. O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OTRA BB EAID SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE TO TRAVEL TO DOMINICA FOR DR. CHARLES BARBER REF: SECSTATE 172460 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance to Dr. Charles Barber, Environmental Advisor, to travel to Dominica for the period October 29 to November 5, 2006. ¶2. The purpose of the travel is for Dr. Barber to assist in the implementation of the USAID-funded project "Commercialization of Nutraceuticals to enhance sustainable agriculture in limited resource Caribbean Farming Communities". ¶3. Understand Embassy assistance is not required. If you have any questions, please contact James L. Goggin at Tel.(246)228-8070 or Fax. (246) 228-8589. ¶4. Entry requirements: Mission policy is that all USG travelers to the region be in possession of a valid U.S. passport. Visas are not required for stays of up to three weeks for tourist/business travel. Visas are not required for stays up to one month for diplomatic/official travel and your passport must be valid three months beyond intended stay. There is a departure tax 27.00 ECD (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) or 10.00 U.S. dollars. ¶5. 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 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