Jamaica to ease COVID-19 restrictions for travelers: No more masking indoors, pre-departure tests

Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY
·2 min read

Jamaica is rolling back its COVID-19 entry restrictions with hopes that easier entry will attract more tourists.

The Jamaica Tourist Board announced that the Caribbean island will drop its indoor mask mandate starting Friday and its pre-departure PCR COVID-19 testing requirement starting Saturday.

Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, said the changes are "important strides" for the country as it begins to relax entry requirements.

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"We are optimistic that these simpler requirements will serve to increase the appeal of Jamaica as a premier destination and keep us moving along the road to a stronger recovery for both the tourism sector and the nation’s economy as a whole," Bartlett said in a Wednesday news release.

Jamaica had previously rolled back travel-related quarantine requirements and its mandated Travel Authorization Form for entry.

The island will continue to require public establishments to offer hand-washing stations or hand sanitizing equipment and visitors are still encouraged to "observe best practices for health and safety," according to the release.

The change comes as other Caribbean destinations – including Puerto Rico and Aruba – ease their own entry requirements for tourists ahead of the summer travel season.

"Many destinations in the Caribbean region and around the world have been easing travel requirements, so this change will help us ensure that Jamaica retains its leadership position among the world's top tourism destinations," Donovan White, Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board, said in the release.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers Jamaica a destination with "low" COVID-19 risk but says travelers should make sure they are fully vaccinated before visiting.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamaica travel: Island to drop pre-departure COVID test, mask mandate