The Government of Jamaica has imposed a travel ban, effectively on Wednesday, on India and Caribbean neighbours Trinidad and Tobago as coronavirus (COVID-19) spike in these countries.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, while making a presentation in the House of Parliament on Tuesday, said, however, that the ban on the United Kingdom (UK) has been lifted because of the mass vaccination of nationals in that country. That ban came to an end on Friday.

Holness said the existing protocols for travel to the island will remain in place, including a three-day negative test before entry as well as the 14-day quarantine after arrival.

He said that the government is aware that these measures will place Jamaica at a disadvantage for the entry of tourists as other countries around the world have changed the protocols to allow vaccinated individuals to enter freely.

Holness stated that the government maintained the measures, being aware that while those vaccinated will be able to fight COVID-19 better, they can still carry and transmit the virus to others. He said with the island’s COVID-19 positive tests trending down, the government could not adjust.

He noted that while mass vaccination has taken place in the island’s source markets for tourism, especially the United States, the other travel measures will remain in place, which means the travel ban on Brazil, Chile, Peru, Columbia, Argentina and Paraguay has also been extended until June 2.