Canada moves to COVID-19 high risk category

Effective tomorrow, Friday, October 16, Canada will be placed in the category of high risk in the latest update of Barbados’ travel protocols. This is in response to an uptick of COVID-19 cases in the North American country.

According to the updated protocols, travellers arriving from Canada are strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 PCR test a maximum of three days prior to arrival.

The protocol states that if persons arriving from this destination are however unable to receive their test results in time for travel, they will be tested on arrival in Barbados.

It is mandatory for persons travelling from all other high and medium risk destinations to have a negative COVID-19 test result to enter Barbados. Failure to produce it may result in entry being denied.

All persons from high risk destinations arriving with a valid negative PCR test are required to remain in quarantine at an approved hotel or villa at their own expense, or at a government facility free of charge, until their second test, which will be administered four or five days after the first.

During this time, they will not be allowed to leave the property in which they are quarantining and there will also be limited access to areas within the property.

There are currently 35 countries listed as high risk in Barbados’ protocols. These include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, India, Italy, Puerto Rico, Spain, South Africa, Venezuela, the United States Virgin Islands and Colombia. Caribbean countries deemed high risk include Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

Persons arriving from countries deemed medium risk are also required to travel with a negative test and will be allowed to exit the airport and go on to their accommodation once they have cleared Customs, Immigration and Port health officials.

These persons are not required to quarantine but are required to be retested four to five days after the first test. They are monitored daily for seven days by public health officers via telephone call or text.

There are ten countries currently listed as medium risk, including Bermuda, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, Martinique and Japan.

The other categories of risk are low and very low. Travellers from countries deemed low risk are required to travel with a negative test taken within five days prior to arrival and no second test is required, while in the case of those from very low risk countries, no test is required to enter Barbados. (BGIS)