Jamaica has earned an estimated US$80 million from around 40,000 tourists who came to the island since the country re-opened its borders on 15 June.

During the Rediscover Jamaica campaign launch last July 22, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett credited the earnings to the measures which the Government implemented for building confidence for tourists.

Barlett said that many of the measures are the first among tourist destinations of the world and that protocols have enabled the Government of Jamaica to manage the movement of the tourists.

“The reopening of the industry along the northern coast corridor has allowed thousands of workers to return to their jobs, while the reopening of the southern coast corridor last week ensured that another 10,000 Jamaicans would start working again.”

The Minister added that the Caribbean is a tourism-dependent region, and in Jamaica, the Government knows that tourism is integral for the survival of the country.

“As the most significant economic engine of the country, travel and tourist industry of Jamaica employs 170,000 workers and effects an additional 120,000 from other related industries, and it fuels more than one-third of the economy of Jamaica.”

He went on to say that the past few months were particularly challenging because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a country, Jamaica suffered the most significant economic decline, which it witnessed in the past four decades.

Jamaica’s GDP declined by 1.7 per cent for the month of March this year and the real GDP is projected to fall 12-14 per cent for this year’s April-June quarter.

Bartlett note that until there is mass access to a COVID-19 vaccine, the risk can not be eliminated.

He likewise said the protocols were benchmarked against 20 other markets around the world, and reviewed by global health agencies, with the phased opening of the sector as a result of consultations with the ministries of health and wellness; national security; and foreign affairs and foreign trade.

“We are all seeing and feeling the societal shift in mindset, including how we travel. There is a sense of anticipation, of wanting to reconnect with nature and with people. For this to happen there must be an imperative that we work together across sectors to develop a framework that prioritises the health of our citizens, along with traveller confidence and safety.”

In other news:

CARICOM IMPACS to host first-ever Virtual Security Conference in the region.

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From 27 – 31 July 2020, CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) will host the first ever Virtual Security Conference in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), under the heading of ‘Securing Our Caribbean Community Within The Era Of Covid-19 and Beyond’.

The crisis presented by coronavirus (COVID-19) is unprecedented in CARICOM.

To respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, Governments across the Region imposed several measures, including social distancing, restrictions, border closures and suspension of non-essential services to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

In support of these measures, law enforcement and security officials played a crucial role to prevent and control the spread of the virus, while at the same time managing and operating within the changing multi-dimensional security environment.

In an effort to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the security environment and the operations of law enforcement and security officials, as well as to identify best practices that can be applied to similar situations in the future; CARICOM IMPACS will bring together a network of practitioners, security experts, government officials, academics, private sector representatives and civil society officials to discuss the challenges, impact and implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Security of our Region. The Virtual Conference will address the following thematic areas such as:

• Peace, Security & Development – A Roadmap For The Future In The Context of COVID-19;
• Criminality & Organised Crime During COVID-19: Present and Future Trends;
• Policing In The Time of a Pandemic- Lessons Learnt;
• Enhancing Cyber Security In The Age of COVID-19;
• COVID-19 & the Future of Borders;
• Crisis and Gender Based Violence;
• Climate Change and Security- Building Resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
• Impact and Implications of COVID-19 on Prisons and Correctional Services; and
• Maritime Security and the Blue Economy

CARICOM Conference Objectives

The CARICOM Virtual Security Conference will gather leading representatives from government, regional and international agencies, academia, private sector and civil society organisations to discuss the impact and implications of COVID 19 and measures to respond.

Specifically, the Virtual Security Conference will:

• Consider how COVID-19 is shaping the security landscape today and in the future;
• Identify how COVID-19 has impacted criminality and organized crime and the implications for the future;
• Facilitate the constructive exchange of information, best practices and lessons identified during the COVID-19 outbreak, so that states can strengthen their abilities to continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare and respond to future pandemics;
• Assess and evaluate the threats and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Explore how the pandemic impacted law enforcement and security officials roles, responsibilities and standard operating procedures, resilience and food security among other issues;
• Provide a consultative forum for discussion between leading practitioners and representatives from the government, regional and international agencies, academia, private sector and civil society. This is especially important when speaking of Border Security and border movements post-pandemic.

Conference Outcome

The Virtual Conference will serve as source material for the development of a “Lessons Learnt and Guidance Document for Preparing for and Responding to Threats such as Pandemics and other crises”.

Conference Flyers:

Flyer 2_CARICOM IMPACS Virtual SECURITY CONFERENCE 2020_July 27-31 2020_July 22

Policing In The Time of a Pandemic Flyer_CARICOM IMPACS Virtual SECURITY CONFERENCE 2020__July 22 2020- 221503QJuly 2020- FINAL

In other news:

WHO Chief: No Return To “old normal” as COVID-19 cases surpass 15 million

The post Virtual Security Conference 2020: Securing Our Caribbean Community Within The Era Of COVID-19 and Beyond appeared first on Caribbean News Now!.

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