By Chantalé Fletcher
THE travel bubble instituted by Barbados is not one in the strictest sense of the word.
This according to Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Dr Amery Browne in answer to an Urgent Question by Opposition Senator Wade Mark in the Senate on Tuesday.
Mark asked Browne what effects the ‘travel bubble’ will have on travellers from Trinidad and Tobago to Barbados.
Dr Browne said, “The Government of Barbados has announced that effective June fully vaccinated persons with a negative PCR test coming from specific countries with low incidence of Covid-19, can enter their country without any further test on arrival.”
The minister said travellers from countries that do not currently meet their criteria such as T&T will be subjected to their existing protocols.
Dr Browne added, “Under those protocols travellers from T&T, vaccinated or unvaccinated must present a negative PCR test taken three days prior arrival in Barbados.
“The unvaccinated traveller will be required to quarantine for five days at a designated approve property, a PCR test is then administered at the end of this period and if the result is negative the traveller may then leave quarantine after five days.”
However, the minister said, “The vaccinated traveller from T&T is administered a second PCR test on arrival in Barbados. If the result is negative the traveller may then leave the designated quarantine location that result is normally obtained in 24 hours.”
Dr Browne stressed there was no additional challenge anticipated for travellers from T&T to Barbados under the new regime which will be effective from June 30, 2021.
