Removal Of Jamaica From CDC Level Four Risk Assessment A Positive Development – Minister Bartlett

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the removal of Jamaica by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from its level-four  “Avoid Travel to this Destination” risk assessment is a “very positive development”.

“I want to commend our health authorities and the people of Jamaica for working to bring down the rates of COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations, which augurs well for our risk assessment rankings. Beyond that, the Resilient Corridor remains a very safe space for visitors and workers alike with comparatively high vaccination rates and extremely low infection rates,” he noted.

Jamaica is now ranked at level three, which urges US travellers to be fully vaccinated before travelling. Despite CDC risk assessments, Americans by and large continue to travel to destinations they want to visit.

Mr. Bartlett, who is currently in the United Kingdom (UK) with a team of Ministry officials, participating in the World Travel Market, said there is no room for complacency.

He said that Jamaica will continue to follow and be guided by international standards relating to the COVID-19 protocols, ensuring that “our economy and tourism sector can get back to normal as quickly as possible”.

Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry, Delano Seiveright, who is also in the UK, said that the news comes on the eve of the winter season.

“This is good news indeed. The previous level-four ranking caused jitters in some circles and was certainly not good optics. However, with this improved ranking it will be most helpful in our current and very aggressive efforts to boost tourist arrivals from all our markets,” he noted

Minister Bartlett is also joined in the UK by Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Chairman, John Lynch; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; and JTB Regional Director for the UK and Northern Europe, Elizabeth Fox.

The engagements in the UK end a global markets blitz, which included Jamaica’s two largest source markets, the United States and Canada, and reaped successes in boosting airlift to the island and reassuring stakeholders on the COVID-related safety of the destination.

The Tourism Minister also led engagements in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which open tourism and investment opportunities for Jamaica.