UK Withdraws Advice against Travel to Jamaica

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has withdrawn its advice against travel to Jamaica.
The official advice against all travel to Jamaica was imposed in anticipation of Hurricane Dean affecting the island.
“Hurricane Dean passed 40 miles south of Jamaica on the August 19. The Foreign Office has now withdrawn its advice against all travel to Jamaica. However, there has been extensive damage to infrastructure and power in Kingston, resulting in a state of emergency being declared. We therefore advise against all but essential travel to Kingston,” the new advisory said. Meanwhile, the Jamaican community in the UK is expressing concern but also relief that the island was spared the full force of Hurricane Dean. “We have the deepest sympathies and concern for all those affected, those who lost loved ones or experienced injuries or who lost or had their property severely damaged. There is indeed genuine relief that the island was spared the full force of Dean,” Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board Representative, Travis Johnson told JIS news. “We were very concerned, and hardly slept on Sunday night; we just kept switching from BBC, to Sky to CNN for news. So we were very pleased when the news came that Jamaica had not faced the worst of it (Hurricane Dean),” Jean Green of Edgware said. Many persons who have been calling the JIS office in London have been expressing gratitude that in many sections of the island, the telephone system continued to work during Hurricane Dean and they were able to be in contact with family and friends. There have also been many expressions of support and offers of voluntary service from the community as well.
Persons have also expressed gratitude for the information and updates on the situation in Jamaica provided by the JIS though the Jamaican High Commission in London.