COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO SANDRA ROSEMBAUM

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000426 SIPDIS SIPDIS AIDAC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OTRA BB EAID SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO SANDRA ROSEMBAUM TO TRAVEL TO BARBADOS, ANTIGUA AND DOMINICA Ref: E-mail dated March 6, 2006 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance to Sandra Rosenbaum to travel to Barbados for the period March 20-21 2006, Antigua March 21- 15 and Dominica March 25-28, 2006. ¶2. The purpose of this visit is to review security/safety of all Chemonics personnel contracted under the Caribbean Open Trade Support (COTS) program. ¶3. Ms. Rosenbaum has no access security clearance. ¶4. Understand Embassy assistance is not required. If you have any questions, please contact Sean Hall at Tel.(246)228-8070 or Fax. (246) 228-8589. ¶5. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter Barbados, Antigua and Dominica. 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 Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone 202) 939- ¶9200. For further information, travelers may contact the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in Washington DC at 3216 New Mexico Avenue, NW 20016, Tel:202-362-5122 and fax: 202-362-5225. For further information, travelers may contact the Embassy Dominica in Washington, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, NW 20016; TEL 202-364-6781 FAX 202- 364-6791. ¶6. Departure tax for Barbados BDS$25.00 or USD15.00, departure tax for Antigua is XCD$50.00 or USD$19.00, departure tax for Dominica is XCD$16.00 or USD$10.00. ¶7. 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