12 LIVING THE BARBADOS LIFE
OMMERCIAL flights to Barbados resumed on July 12, 2020. In light of this, Barbados have released a document to answer frequently asked
August 2020 Travel News
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY BARBADOS TOURISM C
questions in relation to the island’s re-opening protocols. Requirements for Entry
Q: How long before my trip must I complete the online Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) card form?
A: The form will be available for completion at
travelform.gov.bb 72 hours prior to travel and should be submitted no less than 24 hours before departure.
Q: What measures should a traveller expect on arrival?
A: All incoming persons must undergo a health assessment which may include a temperature check and a brief interview by Port Health personnel. Masks must also be worn at the airport.
Testing
Q: Do I have to enter Barbados with proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result?
A: To be considered for process fast-tracking, travellers are strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 PCR test result 72 hours prior to travel and travel with proof of results. Testing and pretesting requirements are based on the risk category of the country you are travelling from.
Q: What happens if I don’t have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result before my trip to Barbados?
A: Travellers from medium and high-risk countries travelling without a negative COVID-19 PCR test result will be required to take a test on arrival.
Q: Are COVID-19 home or rapid tests considered valid?
A: Only the COVID-19 PCR test from an accredited
or certified facility/laboratory will be accepted. Relevant accrediting bodies and standards include: ISO:15189, CAP, UKAS or equivalent.
Q: Will tests taken more than 72 hours prior to travel be considered valid?
A: You must have your test done no more than 72
hours before you travel to Barbados. Any test performed outside of the 72 hour window will not be valid.
Q: Will persons travelling from the Caribbean be exempted from testing upon entry to Barbados?
A: Persons travelling from low risk Caribbean and CARICOM countries, who have not visited a high-risk country in the past 21 days prior to travel, will be exempt from the testing requirement.
Q: Is there an age restriction for testing? A: Children 5 years and under are excluded from
testing.
Q: What is the cost of a COVID-19 PCR test in Barbados? A: Tests will be available at the airport free of charge
or for a fee of USD $150.00, at designated satellite hotel sites.
Q: What are the benefits of being tested at a satellite hotel instead of at the airport?
A: The testing facility at the satellite hotels offers a fast-tracked process through the airport to the testing hotel. Once there, guests will be tested in a more relaxed
BARBADIANS, or as they like to locally refer to themselves as “Bajans”, are slightly different in comparison to other Caribbean islands. Bajans have a deep-rooted spiritual and religious consciousness. Various values and rules of etiquette that have been passed down through the generations, which have lead to the people being courteous, thoughtful and generous. Don’t be surprised by a flood of Good mornings, Good afternoons and Good nights from passerbys as you traverse the island. At the heart of the Bajan culture they
love to entertain and socialise, debating topics from world politics to which local bar makes the best fish cakes. Most of these debates occur at hundreds of the local rum shops, where people from every social and ethnic background can converge. For the shy and timid who visit the island, be prepared to have those qualities disarmed by the Bajan inviting personality and witty charm. On June 25, 2011 Barbados joined an
elite group of nations with world heritage properties when Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This inscription is a tremendous feat for a small Caribbean island states. It presented the opportunity to address the obvious geographical imbalance in sites from Latin American and the Caribbean. UNESCO’s commitment to the identification,
Barbados Tourism answered the most frequently asked questions about their reopening protocols
environment and easily transitioned to a hotel room to await their results.
Q: Where do I await my test results in Barbados? A: Persons who are tested at the airport can await
their test results at either a government accommodation at no charge, or should they choose, a designated holding hotel at their own expense.
Q: Can I leave my accommodation before receiving my test results?
A: Persons must remain in the designated accommodation until they receive their results. Once test is negative, guests will be free to proceed on holiday.
Q: How long does it take to receive test results?
A: Test results would normally be expected to be available within 24 hours.
Q: Can I await my test results at my private villa or residence?
A: Persons who are tested at the airport can await
their test results at either a government accommodation or a designated holding hotel.
Q: What happens if my test result is positive?
A: If your test is positive, you will be transported to an alternative accommodation for isolation and treatment, where you’ll stay until you’ve recovered. Upon recovery, you can resume your vacation or return home.
Q: Who covers the cost of the islolation and treatment period for passengers who test positive?
A: There is no charge to stay in government quarantine and isolation facilities
Q: If a passenger tests positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Barbados, can they simply return to their country of origin rather than go into isolation in Barbados?
A: No, if you are tested positive, you will be transported to an alternative accommodation for isolation and treatment, where you’ll stay until you’ve recovered. Upon recovery, you can resume your vacation or return home.
Accommodation
Q: What are the designated hotels for awaiting test results? l
Worthing Court l Sugar Cane
l Mango Bay Hotel (All Inclusive) l Dover Beach Hotel l Hilton Barbados l The Crane Resort l Meridian Inn
Q: What are the satellite testing hotels? l
Hilton Barbados
l The Crane Resort l In-transit Passengers
Q: What are the protocols in place for in-transit passengers who overnight in Barbados?
A: Except for persons from within the “travel bubble”
in transit passengers without evidence of a valid negative test will be tested in Barbados. Should they not have a negative test they will either not be permitted to leave the airport or will be quarantined until departure or receipt of a negative test result.
Q: Country Risk Categorization for COVID-19 l
High risk: Countries with > 10,000 new cases in
prior 7 days AND Community Transmission. – Many countries are in this high burden group at this time including the USA as well as Brazil, Peru, Mexico,
South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia and India. l
Medium risk: Countries with 101-10,000 new
cases in prior 7 days AND Community Transmission. – Some countries in this grouping currently include the UK, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador, Spain, Portugal, Italy, South Korea. The Dominican Republic is also
in this case range with community transmission. l
Low risk: Countries with < 100 new cases in prior
7 days AND not in the Community Transmission Category. These countries include those in CARICOM as well as New Zealand, Australia, China, Norway and Iceland. Each individual traveller has to be assessed for his/ her individual risk of carrying
the disease since asymptomatic carriage is possible. l
Persons travelling from the Low Risk countries
within the “travel bubble”, who have not visited a High Risk Country within 21 day prior to arrival, will be exempted from the testing requirement.
* Please note, The “travel bubble” refers to Low risk CARICOM and Caribbean countries currently including: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Anguilla, Bahamas, Belize Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos.
Immerse Yourself in the Deep-Rooted Spiritual Conscious and Dip Your Toes in the Crystal Clear Waters of Barbados
protection and preservation of the world’s cultural and natural heritage is enshrined in the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). Bridgetown is a port town and the
capital of Barbados. Its central business district is the national centre serving as the primary focus for major office, parliamentary, and shopping services for the island. The Garrison is one of eight Cultural Heritage Conservation Areas on the island and represents a very distinguished era of military colonial history. Within the precincts of this Site, there are one hundred and fifteen listed buildings. The combination of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison represents a worthy collection of history, colonial and vernacular architecture and good elements of the art and science of town planning. Bajan food is a unique blend of foods
with African, Indian and British influences. Your Barbados travel experience will include some truly special meal-time moments to treasure forever. You’re on holiday so try everything - locally caught fish, home-grown grass-fed meats, sweet plantains, rice and peas, tasty West Indian curries and rotis. Explore our delicious Caribbean cuisine. The national dish of Barbados is Cou-
Cou & Flying Fish. although Fishcakes and Saltbread is a close second, affectionately
called a ‘bread and two’. Other popular dishes include Pudding and Souse a Saturday staple, and Sunday Food which comprises Macaroni Pie, Rice and Green Peas, Baked Chicken and coleslaw. Common staples on Barbadian tables
include Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Cassava, Breadfruit and Rice. These are usually paired with a variety of fish including flying fish. Many other varieties of fish are found in the clear blue waters surrounding Barbados, including kingfish, swordfish, red snapper, yellow-fin tuna, albacore tuna, marlin, shark and dolphin. After filling up on these delicious dishes,
sweet desserts such as guava cheese are the highlight of the meal. Food sold by street vendors is popular
on the island, and key locations include Baxter’s Road near Bridgetown, and Oistins, with its Friday Night Fish Fry. The history of rum strongly suggests that the little island of Barbados is the birthplace of rum. When they discovered that a byproduct of our sugar industry – molasses – could be fermented into alcohol, distilled and served to powerful effect, it marked the start of the Rum era. Rum distinguishes itself from other
spirits by the plant from which it is made. It is distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or sugar cane byproducts. While it’s documented that the island’s
first commercial sugar cane crop was planted in 1640, settlers had been harvesting small crops to create a popular beverage called ‘Kill-Devil’ an early ancestor of modern-day rum. Crude distillation methods resulted in a poor-quality spirit; it was not until over a century later that Barbados would produce rum on a commercial level. The history of rum strongly suggests
it was on this little island, when they discovered that a byproduct of our sugar industry – molasses – could be fermented into alcohol, distilled and served to powerful effect. From the Barbados plantation rum of the 1700s to the Barbados rum punch of today, our paradise island is now famous for producing the best rum in the Caribbean. In the nineteenth (19th) century Barbados had just over ten Sugar Factories and sugarcane was harvested by using thousands of African slaves. Harvested crops where brought to the plantations’ grinding windmills. Windmills were abundant back then and utilised wind power to extract the valuable sugar cane juices. Many windmills are still dotted around the island today with the most famous being the Morgan Lewis Windmill. Sugar was then dispatched to Britain to be refined together with molasses and rum. The sugar industry in Barbados has evolved over the years as it has since become fully mechanical with the latest in technology. Barbados’ island temperate, beautiful
sunshine and cooling rains have been pivotal in creating the perfect conditions for growing sugar cane since the 1600s. The soil of Barbados also has a special ingredient: high alkaline levels which bring a distinctive combination of minerals and nutrients that help to define the aromatic taste of the sugar. Sit under a beach umbrella with a cool
drink, find shade under a sea grape tree or jump right into the clearest, crystal water you could expect to find anywhere in the world! A tropical locale is only as desirable as
its coastline. And on this belief, Barbados never disappoints. Graciously endowed with more than 70 miles of sun-saturated, palm-adorned beaches, translucent azure waters and a year-round climate considered nothing less than perfect, the island is generous in giving Bajans and visitors alike a tropical respite unlike any in the world. The island’s shores are as varied and
unique as Barbados itself. The west coast offers calm waters and dusty white beaches on which you can unwind with a rum punch in hand. Along the eastern shoreline, impressive coral sculptures carved by incessant Atlantic trade winds and thunderous waves decorate an area long heralded as one of the best surfing spots in the world. To the south, flawless sands and reef-protected waters set the perfect scene for a day of snorkelling or swimming.
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