CDC advises against travel to Jamaica
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has told Americans to avoid travel to Jamaica as there is a great risk that they could contract COVID-19.
In an updated travel advisory yesterday, the CDC placed Jamaica at Level 4, the highest on its risk scale.
“Avoid travel to Jamaica,” the CDC told US citizens. “If you must travel to Jamaica, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel ... Because of the current situation in Jamaica, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.”
Jamaica has been hit hard by a third wave of the COVID19 infection, which is widely believed to be caused by the more virulent Delta strain. There have been 19,587 reported cases of the virus and 450 deaths since August 1. The positivity rate, which went beyond 50 per cent at one point in August, was 28 per cent on Monday when 837 new cases were recorded.
Delano Seiveright, senior strategist in the tourism ministry, yesterday described the Level 4 designation as “a disappointing development, especially given the fact that Jamaica has been a leader in establishing best practice protocols to protect both our visitors and residents”.
LEVEL 4 DESIGNATION
“While Jamaica is one of roughly 80 countries around the world, including many of our Caribbean brethren, to receive the Level 4 designation, we are very hopeful that the CDC will see fit to update and reduce the status level in the very near future,” he said.
The CDC’s designation of Jamaica as being a Very High Risk destination comes as health authorities battle a new strain of COVID-19, Mu, which has been designated as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization (WHO) as it may have the potential to circumvent the immune defences of people who are vaccinated or were previously infected. However, Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the USA, said health authorities there do not consider the Mu variant “an immediate threat”.
The WHO said that the fast-spreading Delta variant remains the “most concerning because of the increased transmissibility”.
For Seiveright, Jamaica, which recently welcomed its one millionth visitor since reopening to travel in June 2020, has robust public health protocols in place to limit the potential of tourists getting COVID-19 on the island.
“Visitors can feel confident in knowing that Jamaica’s resilient corridors have recorded a COVID19 infection rate below one per cent over the past year. This was achieved by complying with the robust protocols developed in conjunction with authorities across health and tourism sectors. These protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels recognition, that allowed us to safely reopen in June of 2020 and remain open,” Seiveright said.