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Efforts to get COVID-19 testing of visitors shifted from the Grantley Adams International Airport are moving ahead.
Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), Senator Rudy Grant says the industry has been explaining why the move has to be made, and more importantly, the need for tourism players to have sufficient lead time, in order to inform visitors well ahead of their arrival.
He says they’ve come up with recommendations which now have to go to the Tourism Ministry, then to Cabinet to be considered.
Senator Grant was speaking at the latest BHTA quarterly meeting, held virtually.
He also spoke about the cost of testing, noting that Government will continue to foot the cost for at least a month before the burden is shifted to the visitors.
In the meantime, one member asked what’s being done to ensure there is no repeat of earlier this year when visitors had to wait extremely long for test results.
In answering, Chairman Geoffrey Roach said there are now more labs in Barbados dedicated to COVID testing which should improve the process significantly.
He explains the lab at the Crane Resort has been pressed into service, while another is to come on stream shortly.
