Last Updated on April 28, 2020, 7:23 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Kamina Johnson Smith, the Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, has said that the Government has implemented new protocols for the controlled re-entry of Jamaicans during the present COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.
Johnson Smith said while speaking at a digital press conference at Jamaica House this evening, that re-entry is subject to the strict and stringent protocols made by the Government and also on the availability of quarantine facilities, adding that returning Jamaicans must agree to a 14-day quarantine period in which there is no option to leave before the quarantine period has expired.
The foreign affairs minister said the new protocols will be done in a phased system and noted that Jamaica does not have the resources to charter flights or to pay for the return of nationals.
“Persons will, therefore, be responsible for making their arrangements for travel, taking into consideration the limited availability of flights,” she said.
“We have started informing the airlines of our protocols for controlled re-entry and advising them that nationals who still hold tickets for their airlines will now be seeking to re-book once they have received the travel authorization through our new online portal (jamcovid19.moh.gov.jm),” she continued.
Johnson Smith noted that the re-entry process is accessible on the COVID-19 website or the new mobile application “JamCovid19”.
“When you go on that website, you click on immigration, and you will see a form that asks you to sign in with your email,” the minister said.
She noted that the process requires personal information, including health status, which will only be shared with public health officials.
Johnson Smith added that once an application has been submitted, individuals will either receive, within three days, conditional approval or asked to answer additional questions.
The minister stressed that airlines would not accept a booking of flight until the individual has received a travel authorization which is issued at the end of the application process.
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.
