Jamaica not closing Borders at this time

#KINGSTON, March 18 (JIS): While Jamaica has implemented travel restrictions and quarantine measures for passengers arriving from certain countries, the island will not be closing its borders at this time.

                Travel restrictions have been imposed for the United Kingdom (UK), China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, France, Spain, Germany and Iran. Persons arriving from countries where there is community spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

            Jamaica has, to date, confirmed 13 cases of the virus.

            Speaking at a press conference at Jamaica House on Tuesday (March 17), Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, emphasised that it is not the Government’s intention of shut down the economy.

            “[We] are attempting to mitigate the public health risk, while balancing the need for business to go on in the economy. There’s life after COVID-19.           There is a need to survive during COVID-19 and our economy is structured a particular way, which depends on a series of activities that allow us to be classified very clearly as co-dependent, and it works both ways.

            “It’s a function of our visitors coming here for tourism, being our main industry, our nationals coming back home. We have an import bill of nearly a billion dollars per year,” he pointed out.

            Dr. Tufton added that, “it really is an attempt to ensure that we, as a country, can maintain some of the basic needs that we have, that some industries can continue to function, and workers can continue to work to support their families”.

JIS NEWS by AINSWORTH MORRIS