Minister Bartlett pleased with COVID-19 protocol compliance in Westmoreland

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (left) examines the facilities at Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Negril during his tour of tourism facilities in Westmoreland recently to assess compliance with tourism protocols for the management of the coronavirus (COVID-19). With him are General Manager, Miguel Catena (centre) and Fabio Batista Production Manager.
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Written by Harry Johnson

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says he is satisfied with the level of compliance with established COVID-19 protocols among tourism entities in the parish of Westmoreland.

โ€œIโ€™m very pleased with what I have seen,โ€ said Minister Bartlett following an extensive tour recently to examine large and small hotels and villas and concluding that: โ€œThe properties are fully compliant.โ€

The tour, was the latest in a series of onsite inspections of properties located along COVID-19 Resilient corridors led by Minister Bartlett to examine properties that are certified in terms of requirements under Jamaicaโ€™s health and safety protocols. The tour entailed stops at Riu Palace Tropical Bay and Rondel Village in Negril as well as Zimbali Culinary Retreats; Bluefields Bay Villas and Whitehouse. The Minister also handed over an ambulance valued at $18 million to the Negril Fire Station, which was financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

Defending the push to reopen the industry while managing the coronavirus, Mr Bartlett said Jamaica wanted to establish that health security was at the foundation of the countryโ€™s tourism destination assurance framework. He is pleased that in this regard, โ€œJamaica has excelled and Iโ€™m excited at how the rest of the world is looking at us and viewing the way in which we have managed this pandemic.โ€

The Minister said there was a determination โ€œto make sure that tourism toes the lineโ€ and supported the call by the Ministry of Health & Wellness that if there are constant cases of breaches โ€œthat we must take action, and strong action and we are at the forefront of seeing to it that that happens.โ€

Minister Bartlett also expressed delight that tourism would soon have a COVID security insurance plan, noting that: โ€œWe are in the closing stages of it now and hopefully within the next few weeks we will be able to have the first of that programme established.โ€ This insurance is to provide another layer of coverage to Destination Jamaica, while ensuring that visitors are compliant, in a cost-effective manner.

In response to calls for Jamaica to diversify its economy and not be so heavily dependent on tourism for economic sustainability, Minister Bartlett agreed but pointed out that: โ€œWe see tourism in the context of driving a wider and deeper, bigger market for production of goods and services through linkages.โ€

He highlighted the value of a tourism economy having a huge link with various areas of economic activity, citing for instance: โ€œIf we bring more visitors to Jamaica, it means an expanded market for more agricultural produce, for instance, requiring larger plantations or more technologically advanced methods that produce higher quality and greater levels of output, then employ more people and generates more.โ€

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Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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