Jamaica imposes travel restrictions on six South American countries

The Jamaican Government on Wednesday announced that it was expanding the country’s current travel restrictions to persons coming from Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay.

Earlier this year Jamaica placed a similar ban on travel to and from the United Kingdom, in the wake of the emergence of a more contagious variant of COVID-19.

Jamaica House, in a statement on Wednesday evening, explained the decision, saying it was made “after a review of the situation in South America where several countries in that Continent are experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases and the increasing number of countries with the ‘Brazilian variants’”. 

It added that the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the B.1.1.28.1 or P.1 strain as “a Variant of Concern” and the B.1.1.28.2 or P.2 strain as “a Variant of Interest,” and that both strains are being referred to as the “Brazilian variants”.

The P.1 variant has been reported to be more transmissible than the B.1.1.7 strain (the UK variant), Jamaica House said.

According to the Office of the Prime Minister, the country is at “a critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic; we are experiencing a second surge of cases that has threatened to overwhelm our health care system,” thereby justifying the decision to impose these restrictions.

The new restrictions will run from April 1 to April 13, and will be reviewed during this period.

Under the new arrangement, all non-Jamaicans who have been in the UK, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay within the last 14 days prior to intended arrival date in Jamaica will not be permitted to enter Jamaica.

Jamaicans who have been in the UK, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay within the 14 days prior to intended arrival date, who seek to enter the island through another country will be tested and detained in State quarantine at their own expense for a minimum of 48 hours until the results are returned.

If negative, they will be allowed to transfer to home quarantine to complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine period. If positive, they will remain in isolation at a location that is approved by the Ministry of Health & Wellness.