- The United States State Department in cooperation with CDC issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory for Jamaica.
- A level 4 advisory is the highest advisory in the chain and means for Americans “Do not travel”
- Jamaica’s minister of tourism responds to this warning in a statement released to eTurboNews today.
The Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett statement in regards to the United States issuing a “Do not Travel” Advisory against Jamaica:
Jamaica recently welcomed its one-millionth visitor since reopening to travel in June 2020 and visitors can feel confident in knowing that Jamaica’s Resilient Corridors – which cover more than 85 percent of the island’s tourism product and include less than one percent of our population – have recorded a COVID-19 infection rate under one percent over the past year.
This was achieved through the robust protocols developed in conjunction with authorities across the health and tourism sectors. These protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Safe Travels recognition that allowed us to safely reopen in June of 2020.
The health and safety of every Jamaican and every visitor to the country remain our top priority and we expect the Level 4 designation by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be short in duration.
While Jamaica is one of 77 countries around the world, including many of our Caribbean brethren, to receive the Level 4 designation, we remain confident that our Resilient Corridors and protocols will continue to take us on the right path.
The United States had issued level 4 travel warnings to a number of tourism-dependent Caribbean countries.
When issuing the Do not Travel Advisory, the U.S. government today left out the part on how much safer it is to visit Jamaica compared to Florida or Hawaii – when it comes to the threat of COVID infections.
Jamaica’s tourism minister Edmund Bartlett has not only been a local leader for his country but with his creation of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Center Jamaica has been taking a global lead when it comes to safe tourism and crisis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Jamaica.
Do not travel to:
- The below-listed areas of Kingston due to crime.
- The below-listed areas of Montego Bay due to crime.
- Spanish Town due to crime.
Country Summary: Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Emergency services vary throughout the island, and response times may vary from U.S. standards. U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to areas listed below, from using public buses, and from driving outside of prescribed areas of Kingston at night.
The U.S. issued similar warnings against other Caribbean neighbors, including the Bahamas.
