COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO BOES FOR TRAVEL TO ANTIGUA

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000608 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OTRA AC XL SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO BOES FOR TRAVEL TO ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA REF: BOES/LINTON EMAIL 05/15/07 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance to LCDR Christopher ¶L. Boes, Chief, USMLO - Trinidad and Tobago, for travel to Antigua and Barbuda May 22 - 26, 2007. The purpose of this mission is to attend the Caribbean Nations Security Conference (CANSEC) 2007. ¶2. Embassy points of contact CDR P. Kofi Aboagye, Chief, Military Liaison Office, (246) 227-4339 or cell (246) 227-2705; Major Curtis Schmucker, Deputy Chief, Military Liaison Office, (246) 227-4166 or cell (246) 227-2712; and Major Rachelle Harris, Operations Officer, (246) 227-4123 or cell (246) 227-2725. ¶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 Antigua and Barbuda. No visa is required if your stay is under twenty-eight days, including those travelers arriving with diplomatic or official passports. ¶5. Departure tax for Antigua and Barbuda is $50.00 ECC (Eastern Caribbean Currency) or $19.00 USD. ¶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 facilities 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, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent, the major health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito. Dengue cases are most often seen in the summer months. Persons should therefore protect themselves with insect repellent. 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, pertussis 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. OURISMAN