Iran and three districts in northern Italy have now joined the list of countries on Barbados’ quarantine list for COVID-19.
With immediate effect, all arriving passengers who have been in Iran, or Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna or Veneto in Italy in the previous 14 days will be required to report to Port Health at the points of entry.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said these passengers will be interviewed by port health officers and sent to mandatory quarantine.
The type of quarantine is determined by the level of risk of exposure. Low risk individuals, he explained, are sent to home quarantine while moderate to high risk individuals are sent to mandatory quarantine.
Quarantine measures are already in place for passengers who have been in Hubei Province in China and South Korea during the previous 14 days.
In making the announcement today, the Ministry of Health and Wellness also added Iran and the three districts in northern Italy to the list of places to which non-essential travel should be avoided. Other countries on this list are China and South Korea.
Residents of Barbados are also being advised to take enhanced precautions in terms of their respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene when travelling to areas where community spread of COVID-19 has been reported, including Washington State, California and Oregon in the United States. (BGIS)
