Barbados on “watchlist’ status

Barbados is once again at risk of being removed from the United Kingdom’s so-called “green list” and being placed on the “amber list” in the traffic light system.

This possibility looms several weeks after the island made it off the amber list on June 30.

Earlier this week, Barbados was placed on a “green watchlist”, which means that the country was “at risk of moving from green to amber” due to the COVID-19 situation.

According to the UK guidelines for the traffic light system, “if conditions change in a country or territory, it can be moved from the green list to the amber or red list.

“If a country or territory on the green list is at risk of moving to amber it will also be listed on the green watchlist. If there is a sudden change in conditions, a country or territory may be moved between lists without warning,” the guidelines stated.

Being on the green list means that Brits who travel to Barbados will not have to quarantine upon their return home.

However, before travelling back home they must take a COVID-19 test, book and pay for a day two COVID-19 test to be taken after arrival in England, and complete a passenger locator form. If they are tested positive then they will need to quarantine.

Being on the amber list means that even if they leave the UK fully vaccinated against the virus, they must take a COVID-19 test here, pay for two tests on their return and quarantine for ten days.

The lists were updated on Thursday, but no change was made for Barbados which recorded 10 new cases on Wednesday. At present, there are 93 people in isolation.

Other countries in the region on the green watchlist and therefore at risk of moving to the amber list, include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands.