Recent and ongoing reports suggest that Caribbean tourism officials are doing their utmost to increase COVID-19 testing capability in the shortest time possible following the U.S. decision to require nearly every arriving passenger to submit a test negative within 72 hours of leaving. .
Some Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries looking to push up their visitor numbers and attracting US tourists seeking options in the face of travel bans imposed by other regions are said to be struggling particularly acute on their COVID-19 testing resources as governments in the region are trying to create some push back against the further wave of pandemic rumors.
Jamaica is taking the situation seriously enough to have already created a task force to boost COVID-19 testing capability by the end of the month to meet the requirements of the United States, Canada and other countries, a report quotes the island’s Tourism Minister Edmund . Bartlett as he said last week.
“We have no choice,” Bartlett is quoted in the Jamaican Gleaner.
The new US order comes into effect on January 26.
Another regional tourism officer, the CEO of Caribbean Hotel and Tourism (Ag), Vanessa Ledesma, is quoted as describing the rule as a “huge challenge” for the region due to the lack of testing equipment and laboratory facilities that can sometimes meet high demand short turns. Reports indicate that while some airline executives expect the new order to disrupt demand in the short term, U.S. carriers support the testing rules considered in context. the long-term goal of reopening international markets. With global travel limited by the restrictions of COVID-19, the Caribbean is important for U.S. carriers, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta, as well as for low-cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines Co. and Spirit Airlines.
The Canadian decision to require inbound passengers on January 7 caught airlines by surprise and led to hundreds of passengers being denied return flights for ineligible tests.
Air Canada and WestJet Airlines announced job cuts after a government decision, citing in part, new testing requirements.
In turn, Canada had to postpone the requirement for Jamaican travelers to adhere to the negative COVID-19 tests on arrival, allowing travelers to experience on arrival in Toronto, said Jamaica Gleaner.