Jamaica Receives Lower COVID-19 Risk Rating from CDC

Jamaica on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the United States to remove the island from the level 4 “Avoid Travel to this Destination” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The rating has been given in September, in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19 on the island.

“This 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 hospitalizations, which augurs well for our risk assessment rankings,” said Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

“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.”

Jamaica is now ranked at Level 3, which according to the CDC risk assessment, urges US travelers to be fully vaccinated before traveling.

Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright also welcomed Jamaica’s new ranking by the CDC.

“The previous Level 4 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.”

Bartlett is currently in the United Kingdom with a high-level delegation participating in the World Travel Market, one of the largest international tourism trade shows in the world.

CMC