COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ARMBRISTER TO TRAVEL TO ST.

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000465 SIPDIS SIPDIS AIDAC ¶E. O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OTRA EAID ST XL SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ARMBRISTER TO TRAVEL TO ST. LUCIA REF: SAN JOSE 00704 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance for OFDA/IRG consultant Beryl Armbrister to travel to St. Lucia o/a May 7-11, 2007 to coordinate and monitor damage assessment course and meet with NDC to plan and confirm the country activities for June 2007-2008. ¶2. Understand Embassy assistance is not required. If you have any questions, please contact Mansfield Blackwood at Tel:(246)227-4118 or Fax:(246) 228-8589. ¶3. The exchange rate is approximately $2.70 xcd (Eastern Caribbean) dollars for $1.00 U.S. dollar. 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 St. 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 St. Lucia, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, NW 20016. ¶5. Departure tax for St. Lucia is XCD$45.00 or USD$17.00 ¶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. GILROY