Barbados will remove pre-entry test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers on May 25

Starting May 25, vaccinated persons will no longer require to present a COVID-19 test result in order to enter Barbados.

This announcement was made Saturday by Prime Minister Mia Mottley during a press conference held at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

Mottley said given the downward trajectory in positive COVID-19 patients the island has been recording since its initial spike in March, health officials had agreed that a slight relaxation in some of the protocols could be done in a cautious manner.

“I think that you would appreciate that we have always said that we would have a gas and break approach, and given the declines that we are seeing we feel comfortable to make a few changes again. I’ve therefore been advised by the Ministry of Health that all persons who are vaccinated who are coming into Barbados, will no longer need to come in with any kind of test results. So, we’re removing testing for vaccinated passengers coming into Barbados, unvaccinated passengers will still have to test,” Mottley said.

“Outdoor mask wearing will become optional, but indoors and on public transport masks will still be required, and there will be no changes at all on what happens in the school system.”

The Prime Minister, however, stressed that if any new variant of the disease presented itself, measures to help combat the infection rate would be re-introduced.

“If another variant presents itself that causes us concern, believe you me you don’t have to ask what the Government will do, because we will press brakes again, but at this point in time everything is moving in the right direction and allows us therefore to be cautiously optimistic and to make the necessary changes we need to make.” (SB)