The Jamaican government has worked with experts from around the globe to develop our tourism protocols. Protocols are based on benchmarks of nearly 20 markets globally, best practices from global health agencies, and extensive consultations with entities including: Ministries of Health and Wellness, National Security and Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, Jamaica’s private sector, the unions, and our international partners within and beyond the tourist industry such as World Travel and Tourism Council, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), The World Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and development finance banks.
To further our health and safety measures, Jamaica has designated two Resilient Corridors, encompassing key tourism regions. These corridors allow them to manage exposure between international visitors and tourism workers and residents. They also enable timely and efficient engagement between the ministry of health and wellness and tourism businesses in the area. As of October 10, travellers may stay in multiple accommodation options within the Resilient Corridors, so visitors can explore more of Jamaica.
Following four months of the borders being re-opened, Jamaica has smartly evolved their re-entry testing requirements to more efficiently utilize limited resources at health centres and other facilities.
Currently, the ministry of health and wellness defines high risk areas as: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama and United States. This list is regularly subject to review and revision. The ministry of health and wellness has expanded acceptable testing categories for those travellers 12 and older who require pre-testing. Travellers can choose between COVID-19 Antigen tests or PCR tests. Negative COVID-19 PCR or Antigen tests, along with the name of the testing lab and proof of the lab’s accreditation, must be shown alongside a travel authorization form prior to boarding a flight to Jamaica.
Negative COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test results must also be presented upon arrival in Jamaica. Testing must be performed by a lab accredited by national health authorities such as the world health organisation, Pan-American health organisation or the food and drug administration.
To be accepted, test results must be no more than10 days old from the date the sample was collected to the expected day of arrival on the island.
Travelers requiring pre-testing will still be subject to health screening and risk assessment at the airport; results of this screening will determine the need for additional testing upon arrival.
The travel authorisation is a simple and quick process, gathering travellers’ COVID-related health history, as well as their point of origin and any other recent travel details. The form also gathers travellers’ passport details and accommodations information, expediting the immigration process upon landing. All travellers are required to complete a travel authorization questionnaire no more than five days prior to arrival in Jamaica. The form is available on the Jamaica Tourist Board website: https://www.visitjamaica.com/travelauthorization. A form must be completed for each traveller, and a new form is required for every planned trip. A certificate will be sent directly to the email of those approved. Certification must be presented to airline personnel prior to boarding the aircraft en-route to Jamaica. Travel authorization forms are valid for 10 days from issuance.
All travellers will still be subject to health screening and risk assessment upon landing. The results of the screening and assessment will determine any necessary testing or quarantine measures. Leisure Travellers may be tested at the airport or other designated facility based upon the results of their health screening/risk assessment. Leisure travellers from high risk locations will need to provide their negative COVID-19 test results as part of the screening process.
Those who do not require further testing may proceed to their hotel/resort within the Resilient Corridor.
Those who require testing at the airport or a dedicated facility as a result of their health screening/risk assessment must remain in quarantine in their hotel room until test results are available. Those with positive tests must be isolated at their address or in a government health facility.
Business Travellers staying less than 14 days are required to be tested at the airport, and must await test results under quarantine at their hotel or declared address.
If results are negative, they must stay at their declared address, leaving only once per day to conduct business meetings/financial transactions, following which they must return immediately. •Business travellers are not permitted to attend any meeting or event with more than 20 persons, meet with persons aged 75 and over, or take any form of transportation with any passenger other than those with whom they travelled to Jamaica.
If results are positive, they would be isolated at their declared address or in a government health facility.
Business travellers who are staying for 14 days or more will be required to complete their quarantine for 14 days from their date of entry into Jamaica even if their test result is negative. Non-residents and tourists visiting Jamaica and staying outside of the Resilient Corridor may be tested at the airport or other designated facility based upon the results of their health screening/risk assessment. Those who are tested must remain under quarantine at their declared address until results are available. Those with negative tests must remain at their declared address for 14 days from date of arrival. Those with positive tests must be isolated at their address or in a government health facility.
Beyond the airports, Jamaica’s Health & Safety Protocols include nine fundamental protocol elements that TPDCo is working with businesses to implement. These include: Sanitisation for all workers, tourists and surroundings; face masks and PPE for workers and tourists in public places; Physical distancing, allowing people to be together but physically apart; frequent communications and messaging to ensure transparency; Enhanced digital enablement across the industry, to allow for more contactless transactions; Real-time health monitoring and reporting in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, including solutions for quick isolation and containment as needed; Rapid response in the event of a positive test; and training to ensure workers and communities can implement protocols properly and thoroughly. Each individual area of tourism, including lodging, transportation providers, restaurants, bars, pools, beaches (including public beaches), shopping areas, attractions and more, have received specific protocols to implement at their respective businesses. All travellers are required to follow local curfew requirements.
