The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added another cruise destination to its level 4 travel advisory list. The list that already has multiple nations across the Caribbean now also has Barbados, which had been at level 3 for several months.
CDC Advises Against Travel to Barbados
The CDC now advises avoiding all travel to Barbados as the island nation located in the eastern Caribbean has been added back on its level 4 travel advisory list. The CDC says, “Because of the current situation in Barbados, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.”
Barbados was added back to level 4 after being at level 3 for more than three months. Previously, the CDC only advised for essential travel to the island. It comes as an additional five countries were elevated to level 4 on October 4, 2021, including Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Latvia, and New Caledonia.
Even though the CDC advises against travel to Barbados, it is essential to know that it’s just a recommendation and not a requirement. When it comes to cruise ships, they still plan on making calls to the island. This month, P&O Cruises is restarting operations in the Caribbean based out of Bridgetown, Barbados, with Britannia.
There are now 15 cruise nations across the region on the CDC’s level 4 list. The good news is that cruise operations continue to ramp up. Jamaica, which is also included on the list has been closed for much of the pandemic, has already welcomed its first cruise ship in August, and Grand Turk plans to begin having cruise ships back soon.
For a nation to be added to the level 4 list, the CDC considers two factors. The first is more than 500 new cases per 100,000 people over the past 28 days. The second criteria depend on the number of tests over 28 days.
Related: CDC Recommends to Avoid Travel to Another Two Cruise Destinations
Cruise Hive will keep readers informed on any important updates from the CDC impacting cruise destinations and the industry. If travelers plan to head to Barbados, the latest protocols that were last updated on September 10 can be viewed here.
