Last Updated on August 9, 2020, 7:39 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The Jamaican Hotel and Tourist Association said that the Level 3 US travel advisory which was published this Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was an upgrade from Level 4, which tells American people’ not to travel’.
Since March 31, Jamaica and some other countries were part of a global Level 4 advisory owing to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.
Level 3 advisory advises the Americans to ‘reconsider travel because of health and safety measures and COVID-19-related conditions’, not only to Jamaica but also to countries like the Canada, United Kingdom, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.
Several countries which are listed on the list are not very dependant on tourism like Jamaica.
The new advisory of the CDC has caused initial shock among the Jamaicans as US has topped 160,000 COVID-19 deaths which are far greater than Jamaica’s 13. Infections in the US have risen in the past five million. Jamaica has 987 cases.
JHTA sought to assure the country while admitting a concern in a press statement which was issued on Friday that the tourism players were doing their part for securing the safety of communities, staff and visitors.
Delano Seiveright, senior adviser and strategist in Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, said on Friday morning that strict COVID-19 health and safety protocols, which include a designated Resilient Corridor for tourists by Jamaica were well regarded, and this led to the country being recognised by the prestigious World Travel & Tourism Council with the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp.
He said that Level 4 advisory is still in place for Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Belize, Haiti and Peru.
While countries like Macau and Taiwan are at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) and Thailand and New Zealand are at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution).
Seiveright also that the American travellers do not take advisories often into consideration while booking travel.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
