Jamaican News

Tourism Minister Joins Call For Social Distancing

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has joined the call for social distancing among Jamaicans.

During a digital media briefing on April 2, Mr. Bartlett said that it is important for everyone to follow the guidelines and the protocols that have been established by the Government to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

“We want, in Tourism, to re-emphasise the critical importance, especially during this period of sensitivity where community spread is likely to begin, for everybody, not just those who feel they have a symptom but everybody in Jamaica, to respond positively to the position that the Government has taken and the direction that is being given for social distancing,” the Minister said.

“To use a nice Jamaican phrase that we all love so much, ‘Tan a Yaad’, because this is one of the surest ways of containing the spread of this virus and enabling an early return to economic activities, so that you can continue to earn and to develop your own well-being,” he added.

According to the Minister, the impact of COVID-19 on tourism has been huge for Jamaica and all the other tourism-dependent countries in the Caribbean.

“Of the 20 most dependent small countries in the world on tourism, the Caribbean has 10, led by the British Virgin Islands with a 92.6 per cent dependence,” Mr. Bartlett said.

He said that country is followed by Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, and a number of other countries, including Barbados, The Bahamas, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.

“So, how quickly we get out of this is critical to the future development of the economies of these regions and the world,” the Minister emphasised.

SOURCE: JIS

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