Cablegate: Country Clearance Granted to Jean Smith to Travel To

VZCZCXYZ0027
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #1863 2961847
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231847Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0869
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3565

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001863

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV OTRA BB CS
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO JEAN SMITH TO TRAVEL TO
BARBADOS

REF: SAN JOSE 02289

1. Embassy Bridgetown welcomes and grants clearance to Jean M.
Smith to travel to Barbados from October 25-November 15, 2006, to
assist with administrative support in the front office.

2. Housing has been arranged for Ms. Smith at Margate Apartments,
unit #10, transportation from the airport to residence will be
provided by Embassy. All details will be forwarded separately
through emails.

3. Entry/departure requirements: Mission policy is that all USG
travellers to the region be in possession of a valid passport.
Visas are not required for short visits. Visitors are granted up to
28 days upon entry, which can be extended through the Barbados
Immigration Department for up to six months. Barbados has a
departure tax of 25 Barbados Dollars (BDS) of 13 U.S. Dollars
(USD).

4. The exchange rate is a constant BDS$2.00 to USD$1. U.S.
currency, travelers' checks, and credit cards are routinely and
widely accepted.

5. 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.

KRAMER

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