Barbados Restricts Travel To Countries Reporting COVID-19 Cases

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, February 28, 2020 (CMC) – Barbados has joined several other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, in advising nationals against travelling to China and South Korea, unless absolutely necessary.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness said the recommendation follows a previous advisory, issued last month, warning against non-essential travel to Hubei Province in China, after the coronavirus outbreak in its capital, Wuhan, last December.

Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George, said that the Ministry’s Emergency Organizing Committee has been closely monitoring the international situation, and the decision to extend the advisory to include all areas of China and South Korea, was based on the latest, available information, provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Over the past few weeks, Caribbean countries have imposed travel restrictions to these countries, as well as Italy, Iran and Japan, and Dr. George said that persons travelling to Italy and Iran, which have both reported clusters of COVID-19 cases, to take all necessary precautions, related to respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

The authorities, here, said enhanced surveillance is also now in place at the ports of entry, for passengers arriving from all these destinations.

More than 2,700 people, mainly in China, have died from the virus, for which there is no known cure.