Government redraws boundaries of border reopening

Days after officially reopening its borders, the Government on Thursday revised public health protocols for air travel to Barbados but stopped short of slapping a ban on travel to and from the US, racked by an explosion in coronavirus infections.

And with some travellers from high-risk countries reaching CARICOM neighbours, the Ministry of Health has discontinued the designation of a “travel bubble”, which exempted CARICOM countries deemed low-risk from pre-testing. Jamaica lies outside the list as a nation of “moderate risk”.

The changes are an apparent response to a runaway surge in COVID-19 infections in the United States, the largest source of visitors in the Americas.

Now, passengers arriving in Barbados with a negative COVID-19 PCR test from high-risk countries must now be quarantined at an approved facility for seven days and monitored daily for the onset of symptoms, the Ministry of Health announced. At the end of the seven-day period, they will be required to undergo a second COVID-19 PCR test.

Passengers from low-risk countries, including within CARICOM, who have not visited a high-risk country within 21 days prior to arrival, are expected to show valid results that have been done no longer than one week prior to travel. “The Ministry of Health and Wellness reserves the right to require the testing of any arriving passenger, regardless of documentation presented,” it said.

The health authorities also said that passengers from high-risk countries who arrive without a valid negative test result will be tested at the Grantley Adams International Airport, and must remain there until the results are known. If the result is negative for the presence of coronavirus, they are to go into a seven-day quarantine before being retested. If they test positive, they will go immediately into isolation.

All but nine of the 50 American states report a steep rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Miami, a long-time US hub serving Barbados, has now been declared the epicentre of the pandemic, among several other Southern US cities reporting record infection rates  Hospitals have seen their intensive care facilities overrun and bodies are being stacked in refrigerated trucks.

  The ministry further advised travellers that the COVID-19 PCR test must be done “by an accredited or certified facility or laboratory 72 hours prior to arrival in Barbados. Relevant accrediting bodies and standards include ISO:15189, CAP, UKAS, or equivalent”.

The test results ought to be submitted electronically to a government website, and travellers must also bring a copy with them.

The Ministry of Health continued: “Everyone must complete an online Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) form at least 24 hours before arrival. The test results may be uploaded on this form, which may be accessed at www.travelform.gov.bb. Passengers arriving from countries deemed moderate risk without a negative test result have the option, along with those from low-risk countries, of being tested at the airport for free or choosing an approved satellite facility for a fee of [$300] US$150.

“If the test is done at the airport, they will not be required to wait for their results. They will be allowed to proceed to their intended addresses, where they must remain in quarantine until the test results are returned, usually within 24 hours. They will then be monitored for seven days and may be requested to undergo a second test if circumstances arise during the monitoring period that warrant it.”

The high-risk countries include the United States, Brazil, India, Mexico, Argentina, the Philippines and Russia. On the moderate risk list sit Canada, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, Jamaica, Japan and China. Low-risk countries on the revised list include Cuba, New Zealand, Norway, and CARICOM states.