COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR PEACE CORPS IT SPECIALIST MR.

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001884

SIPDIS

TOPEC

SIPDIS

BRIDGETOWN PASS TO PEACE CORPS ST. LUCIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC OTRA ST XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR PEACE CORPS IT SPECIALIST MR.
DOMENICO PALOMBO TO TRAVEL TO SAINT LUCIA

REF: SECSTATE 178772


1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants country clearance
to Mr. Domenico Palombo ams to travel to St. Lucia arriving o/a
October 26, 2005. The purpose is to assist with a
telecommunications project.


2. POC while in St. Lucia will be Ms. Kate Raftry, Peace Corps
Eastern Caribbean Country Director.


3. 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.


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


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

Airports and Transportation
--------------
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