Even as Jamaica presses ahead with the reopening of the island to tourists on June 15, most of the industry’s workers are viewing the decision with concern, an islandwide Tourism Worker Sentiment Survey has shown.
While empathising with the workers, Omar Robinson, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said that the implementation of the protocols would go a long way in allaying the fears through the consistent use of the training and sensitisation of the new procedures, along with the required personal protective equipment, which will have to be provided by the companies.
A total of 73 per cent of staff recommended mandatory COVID-19 testing for both staff and tourists, while 63 per cent also recommended mandatory masks for staff and tourists.
The concerns of the workers about testing have been echoed by the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ), which expressed consternation in a media statement on Friday about the Government’s decision to allow non-nationals to enter the country without being tested for SARS-CoV-2.
The JHTA, in its response, insisted that its members were ready to safely open the tourism sector in keeping with Jamaica’s COVID Resilient Protocols and that it welcomes “the mandatory use of masks by both staff and visitors and sees this as an important barrier against possible infection”.
