From Thursday (1 October), all visitors from the UK and Ireland will be required to have taken a Covid test no more than 72 hours before arrival, which must have proved negative.

On arrival, visitors will be required to remain at one of 70 approved properties, and will be tested again two or three days later.

If the second test is negative, guests will be free to leave the confines of the property, although they will continue to be monitored for seven days after their arrival.

A list of hotels and villas approved for high-risk arrivals to stay at has since been significantly expanded (*story updated on 9 October, see list below) and includes Cobblers Cove, Hilton Barbados, Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandy Lane.

A tourist board spokesperson said: “They [guests] don’t have to remain in isolation, but can enjoy designated areas of their chosen accommodation.

"This varies from property to property depending on their facilities, but some will even include being able to use the pool.”

The spokesperson added: “There is no longer a quarantine period of 14 days for high risk countries. There is a monitoring period after the second all clear, but this is self-conducted so doesn’t affect visitors’ schedules.

"Monitoring includes daily self-temperature checks and sharing that information with the public health teams who will check in via call or text.”

Caribtours managing director Paul Cleary said: “It’s clearly a complicated message to communicate, but equally it enables customers to still travel.

“The conversations we have had with agents in the past few days is that clients have accepted it if it means they can still go. We’re saying it’s not ideal, but this is what’s required to have a holiday.

“The feedback we’ve got is, ‘okay, we get it, we’re used to our own lockdowns’."

He added: “It’s not a Barbados problem, it’s a UK problem; we are a high-risk country. The very worst thing would have been if any Caribbean countries had decided to close their borders.

"They’re accepting our visitors, but we have to jump through a few more hoops.”

* Barbados hotels approved as first stays for high-risk arrivals (as at 9 October):

Accra Beach Hotel & Spa

Adulo Apartments

All Seasons Resort – Europa

Angler Apartments

Ascot House

Atlantis Historic Inn

Bayfield House

Beach View Hotel

Blue Horizon Hotel

Blue Orchid Beach Hotel

Bougainvillea Beach Resort

Butterfly Beach Hotel

Carib Blue Apartments

Chateau Blanc Apts On Sea

Cobblers Cove Hotel

Coconut Court Beach Hotel

Colony Club Hotel

Coral Mist Beach Hotel

Coral Reef Club

Coral Sands Beach Resort

Courtyard Marriott

Cove Spring House

Crystal Cove Hotel

Dover Beach Hotel

Eco Lifestyle & Lodge

Fairmont Royal Pavilion

Golden Sands Hotel

Harlem B n B

Hilton Barbados Resort

Inchcape Seaside Villas

Infinity On The Beach

Island Inn Hotel

Legend Garden Condos

Little Arches Hotel

Little Good Harbour

Mango Bay Hotel

Maxwell Beach Villas

Meridian Inn

Mullins Grove

Nautilus Apartments

Ocean 15 Apartment Hotel

Ocean Spray Apartments

Palm Garden Hotel

Pirate’s Inn

Plum Tree Club

Port Ferdinand

Port St. Charles

Radisson Aquatica Resort

Rockley Plum Tree Club

Rosebank Apartments

Rostrevor Hotel

Saint Peter’s Bay

Sandals Barbados Resort

Sandals Royal

Sandy Lane Hotel

Savannah Beach Hotel

Sea Breeze Beach House

Seafoam Haciendas

Shades Apartments

Soco Hotel

South Beach Hotel

South Gap Hotel

Southern Palms Hotel

Sugar Bay Barbados

Sugar Cane Club & Spa

Sugar Cane Mews # 2

Sugar Cane Mews # 3

Sugar Cane Ridge # 14

Sugar Cane Ridge # 7

Sun N Sea Apartments

Sunbay Hotel

Tamarind Hotel

The Crane Resort

The House

The Lone Star

The Sandpiper Hotel

The Sands

Time Out Hotel

Treasure Beach Hotel

Tropical Winds Apartment Hotel

Turtle Beach Resort

Turtle Nest Beach Apartments

Vineyard Suite

Waves Hotel & Spa

White Sands Beach Condo and Villas

Worthing Court Hotel

Yellow Bird Hotel