Vaccination Among Tourism Workers Continues To Climb: Chukka Good Hope And Jamaica Inn Reporting High Rates

Vaccination uptake among tourism workers continues to increase with Chukka, Good Hope and Jamaica Inn added to the list of stakeholders reporting a high percentage of vaccinated staff.

“We are 90 per cent vaccinated – our staff here – and we make sure that all of our staff facing the guests are vaccinated. It’s so important for the push to get Jamaica vaccinated and accepted, especially within the cruise industry,” says General Manager, Chukka, Good Hope, James Robertson, in an interview with JIS News.

He informs that there was a slow pickup at first, similar to what was happening nationally. However, people soon realised and understood the importance of taking the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.

“We all went off and got our vaccines. I got my second [dose of the] vaccine and they (workers) saw that nothing happened to me… .  I’m really proud of them, they took it on and they understood without all of this misinformation,” Mr. Robertson adds.

He further indicates that several COVID-19 health and safety protocols are in place at the attraction.

“So, what happens is [when] you come in you have to sanitise. Of course, at all times you have to wear a mask; the staff wear masks all of the time [and] there are hand-sanitising stations everywhere,” Mr. Robertson informs.

He also notes that after each use, all transports are sanitised, washed down and prepped for the next group of people.

“All of those things are timely and expensive, but they’re worth it in the same way that vaccination is so worth it, Mr. Robertson adds.

Chukka, Good Hope, is an eco-adventure outpost located in Trelawny. Visitors to this attraction enjoy several activities, including, zipline, river tubing or kayaking, rum tasting, nature walk, bird aviary and river rafting among others.

Like many attractions and other tourism entities, Chukka, Good Hope, was heavily affected by the pandemic, closing its doors for nearly 18 months.

Meanwhile, Director, Sales, Marketing and Reservations, Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Gerry Ridley, tells JIS News that more than 70 per cent of staff is vaccinated.

“It’s not mandated, but we encourage our team members to get vaccinated. Once there is a vaccination site in or around the area, we get drivers to take them or persons who drive like myself,” she says.

She emphasises that it is important for team members to get vaccinated because there will come a time when guests “only want vaccinated persons to offer them service in the dining room [or] on the beach”.

She notes that many guests call ahead to find out the percentage of staff that is vaccinated or to request vaccinated servers.

In highlighting the protocols that have been implemented at the Inn, Ms. Ridley says that all team members must wear a mask on the property.

She informs that sanitisers are placed at various locations on the property, including being mounted on palm, coconut and almond trees, and along each block of rooms.

“All our guests are encouraged to wear their masks once they are traversing the property. When you get to the beach, your room, or are seated at the dining rooms then you can remove your mask,” Ms. Ridley tells JIS News.

She notes that all rooms are cleaned and well sanitised for guests.

Ms. Ridley tells JIS News that the hotel felt the impact of the pandemic, as operations slowed.

“We stayed open, but we were never operating at 100 per cent because we can’t have 100 persons,” she explains, adding that of the 55 rooms on the property, 15 were in operation then later 20.

“So, we slowly phased in operation, but we have operated at a loss for the two years [since the pandemic],” says Ms. Ridley.

“I encourage persons who can get vaccinated to get vaccinated, so we can all move on and just get back to our glory days,” she urges.

A Tourism Vaccination Task Force was established by the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate the vaccination of tourism workers islandwide. The task force has organised a number of vaccination blitzes at strategic sites across the island.

These events are in collaboration with the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative in tandem with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and various tourism stakeholders, both within the public and private sectors.