COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO HAMILTON TO

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000899

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AIDAC


E. O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC EAID OTRA AC DO XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO HAMILTON TO
TRAVEL TO ANTIGUA AND TO DOMINICA

REF: MEMO DATED MAY 19, 2006 BETWEEN BLACKWOOD/MOTES


1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance to Mr.
O'Neil Hamilton to travel to Antigua for the period May
30 to June 2, 2006 and to Dominica June 6-10, 2006.
The purpose of this visit is to conduct four Public
Outreach 101 training workshops.


2. Understand Embassy assistance is not required. If
you have any questions, point of contact is Rebecca
Rohrer at Tel.(246)228-8070 or Fax. (246) 228-8589.


3. Unfortunately, post's resources do not allow us the
flexibility to meet and assist visitors at the airport.
The exchange rate is approximately $2.70 EC for $1.00
USD. U.S. currency, traveler's checks, and credit
cards are routinely and widely accepted here.


4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is
required to enter 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 Antigua and Barbuda, 3216 New
Mexico Avenue, NW 20016. For Dominica, travelers may
contact the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Dominica,
3216 New Mexico Avenue, NW 20016.


5. Departure tax for Antigua is XCD$50.00 or USD19.00
and for Dominica is XCD$16.00 or USD10.00.


6. 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