Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Antigua, Barbados at loggerheads over COVID-19 travel protocols

Antigua, Barbados at loggerheads over COVID-19 travel protocols

The government of Antigua and Barbuda has issued an ultimatum to Barbados, justify the "medium-risk" COVID-19 rating, or we take you to CARICOM.

Antigua’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chet Greene said should Barbados fail to respond, they’ll have no choice but to take the matter to CARICOM.

Earlier this month, the Gaston Browne administration reached out to Barbados asking why the country had been placed on the high-risk list given that their response to the pandemic has been exemplary.

Minister Greene said Antigua's status has since been upgraded to "medium risk" but he still finds this unacceptable as this means that nationals would be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine if they visit Barbados.

Should Barbados fail to respond or revise its position, he said they would be forced to ask CARICOM to intervene.

“What we are asking primarily is an appreciation, an understanding of exactly what standards you apply. We don’t know, if we know the standard is two cases per 100,000 then we will tell our population Barbados is a place to avoid because we are at six cases and therefore you have to go into quarantine," he said while speaking on a local radio programme.

The Minister described the entire situation as vexing.

He said he fully understands the frustration being expressed by nationals of his country who use Barbados for several reasons, some of them in the context of CARICOM.

"It really does not bowl well for what the region speaks about so glowingly when in effect, practise shows something different."

In its recently updated COVID-19 travel protocols, Barbados listed several countries in the high-risk category.

These include:

* Antigua and Barbuda

* Cayman Islands

* Cuba

* Estonia

* Norway

* Finland

* Germany

* Ghana

* Greece

* Iceland

* Japan

* Martinique

* Sri Lanka

* United Arab Emirates

Antigua and Barbuda's rating was subsequently improved to "medium-risk."

Several of Barbados' major source markets for tourism, like Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Jamaica and Guayana remain on the high-risk list.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×