Due to a shortage of fabrics being delivered to Barbados, local manufacturers and dressmakers have been able to unable to produce the quantity of uniforms required to meet demand before the start of the new school season in Barbados, which officially begins on September 19th, 2022.

In light of the challenges facing parents, the Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training announced a temporary relaxation on school uniform policy, until September 30th, 2022. After which, the Minister will review the policy.

If your child is unable to wear the required school uniform, he or she will be allowed to dress in a plain-coloured t-shirt or plain-coloured polo shirt and jeans/trousers, until the relaxed dress policy expires. The Minister has stressed that the relaxation on school uniform policy is strictly on a temporary basis only.

The Chief Education Officer will communicate with school principals to ensure they are fully aware of the relaxed school uniform policy.

Following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, members of the public are advised that a Book of Condolence has been made available to sign at the British High Commission in Bridgetown.

Persons who wish to sign the book can visit the British High Commission between the following hours:

Monday, September 12th, 2022 between 9 am and 3 pm

Tuesday, September 13th, 2022 between 9 am and 3 pm

Wednesday, September 14th, 2022 between 9 am and 3 pm

Thursday, September 15th, 2022 between 9 am and 3 pm

Friday, September 16th, 2022 between 9 am and 1 pm

The British High Commission has advised that parking will be available outside the compound.

The Government of Barbados announced, as at July 31st, 2022, a total of 3,784 applications had been received under the Welcome Stamp visa programme. Among the applications received, 2,417 were approved, signifying an overall acceptance rate of 63%.

The top five leading countries were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland.

In July, 2021, the Remote Employment Act, 2020 was amended to allow persons on the Welcome Stamp to apply for a renewal of their visa, for a further 12 months, at a 25% discount on the visa application fee.

Persons who wish to apply for a renewal of their Welcome Stamp visa can do so by visiting the official website.^‍

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has announced that effective August 20, 2022, unvaccinated travellers will no longer be subject to a rapid antigen test at the airport on arrival in Barbados.

However, unvaccinated travellers are still required to take a COVID-19 test prior to arrival, which must be a rapid antigen or PCR test taken within three (3) days prior to arrival. The test result must be negative.

Persons who are fully vaccinated are not required to take a pre-arrival COVID-19 test.

For more information, please read the Barbados Travel Protocols.

The Minister responsible for Energy and Business, under the powers conferred on him by Section 3 of the Miscellaneous Controls Act, Cap. 329, has reduced the retail price of gasoline (petrol) to BDS $4.39 per litre, and the retail price of diesel to BDS $3.85 per litre.

These price adjustments are effective from Friday, August 19th, 2022.

For more information, please read S.I. 2022 No. 73.

The Minister responsible for Energy and Business, under the powers conferred on him by Section 3 of the Miscellaneous Controls Act, Cap. 329, has increased the retail price of gasoline (petrol) to BDS $4.83 per litre, and the retail price of diesel to BDS $4.28 per litre.

These price adjustments are effective from Monday, August 8th, 2022.

For more information, please read S.I. 2022 No. 69.

Please be advised there are two upcoming bank holidays, during which many businesses will be closed:

Kadooment Day on the 1st August, 2022.

Emancipation Day on the 2nd August, 2022.

You may have heard about the Pandemic Contribution Levy that applies to persons earning BDS $6,250 or more per month. The levy, at a rate of 1%, is imposed from April 1st, 2022 until March 31st, 2023.

However, persons on the Welcome Stamp are exempt from the levy as per Policy Note 002/2022 and the upcoming Pandemic Contribution Levy Act, if passed, will put this exemption on a statutory footing.

Furthermore, the upcoming Act also proposes to exempt a qualified person who has been granted a foreign currency permit under the Foreign Currency Permits Act, 2018.

We would like to remind visitors and residents that hurricane season officially starts today, June 1st, and runs through to November 30th. While the likelihood of a hurricane directly impacting Barbados is low, it always remains a possibility each year.

Last year, Barbados was directly hit by a category 1 tropical cyclone, known as Hurricane Elsa. A few weeks before, a sudden 'freak storm' caused damage to dozens of homes across Barbados.

Please make sure you are prepared for the hurricane season. Familiarise yourself with the Emergency Shelters List for 2022, published by the Department of Emergency Management.

Make sure you have adequate supplies, including non-perishable foodstuffs and potable water that will last you and your family for a minimum of two (2) weeks. See page 26 of the shelters list for a detailed list of supplies you should have as part of your Disaster Emergency Kit.

In addition to hurricane preparedness, you should also be mindful that Barbados lies within an area of relatively high earthquake activity and therefore can be impacted by tsunamis at any time during the year. Always obey the 'natural signs', that is to say:

The Government of Barbados has announced that effective Wednesday, 25th May 2022, wearing a face mask outdoors will no longer be compulsory. Going forward, wearing a face mask will only be required in public buildings (e.g. supermarkets, offices and other business locations) and on public transport.

Attorney General, Dale Marshall, explains that "public buildings" also includes structures such as tents which are "substantially enclosed".

For more information, please read S.I. 2022 No. 43.

Update: From December 22nd, 2022, wearing a face mask is no longer required as a matter of law. For more information, please read our blog post.