Barbados is the latest Caribbean destination planning to reopen its borders for tourism. 

The Caribbean island will officially begin receiving visitors on July 12, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced. 

The move comes after Barbados has reported 35 days with no new cases of COVID-19. 

The first commercial flights to Barbados will kick off with Air Canada service from Toronto on July 12. 

On July 18, British Airways will resume service from London Gatwick, and JetBlue will be relaunching flights from New York to Barbados on July 25, with four weekly flights out of John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

On Aug. 5, American airlines will be resuming flights to Barbados out of Miami. 

“We will continue to take a risk based approach to the protection of our country, our people and our visitors,” Mottley said.

So what should visitors to Barbados know before they plan their trips?

Travelers will be required to present evidence of a negative result of a PCR COVID-19 test and a bar code to clear immigration. 

All travelers from “high risk” countries are “strongly encouraged” to take a COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure for Barbados, according to Tourism Minister Kerrie Symmonds.  

Barbados is defining “high risk” countries as those with more than 10,000 cases in the prior seven days, with community transmission. That would include the United States. 

Travelers from “low risk” countries (those with less than 100 new cases in the previous seven days) will have up to one week prior to departure for Barbados to take their tests. 

Travelers will also have to fill out a new online “Embarkation/Disembarkation” ED card, which will include personal questions relating to COVID-19 symptoms. (You can find the card here)

Once all required steps are included (along with supporting documents uploaded), travelers will receive a bar code. 

Those travelers without a documented negative PCR test result will be required to take a test upon arrival, and will be quarantined at their expense, with an anticipated wait time of 48 hours for the results. 

If travelers fail that test, they will be replaced in isolation “where they will receive care from the Ministry of Health and Wellness.”

For more, visit Barbados. 

— CJ