Barbados tightens curfew with COVID-19 cases up

Barbados has expanded the hours for its curfew.

The new curfew hours are 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Monday through Saturday and from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sunday.
The curfew had been 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

“These hours will be in effect for 2 weeks, but may be extended to 4 weeks if our COVID case numbers don’t go down,” said Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley during a televised address, earlier this week.

Barbados has set up a number of community vaccine stations throughout the island-nation to facilitate access to vaccinations for those unable to reach the main sites in Bridgetown and elsewhere.

“We don’t need to lock down if we can slow down and vaccinate, and that is absolutely, absolutely critical,” the prime minister said. “All persons must wear a mask above their nose and below the chin. This does not come with a penalty but as a reminder to persons that COVID and the delta variant are nothing to play with.”

All travelers, vaccinated or unvaccinated, must complete an immigration customs form online and present proof of a negative PCR test done within 72 hours of arrival.

Fully vaccinated travelers must take a free rapid antigen test upon arrival and await results at their approved accommodation. Results usually come between 8 and 12 hours. Unvaccinated children under 18 traveling with vaccinated family members follow the same rules.

Unvaccinated visitors must take a PCR test upon arrival, quarantine in their room for five days and take a second test at that time.