Jamaica, Airport Set to Reopen for Tourists

Jamaica is finally ready to reopen its borders to tourists, and Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is ready with safety measures in place to welcome visitors back to the beloved Caribbean island.

June 15 is the first day international tourists can come back to Jamaica, which will conduct health screenings upon arrival. Face masks will be mandatory at the airport, in taxis and at hotels.

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With the airport being the first likely meeting ground for tourists, Sangster International has implemented a series of measures to ensure the safety of staff and tourists alike.

MBJ Airports Unlimited CEO Shane Munroe told the Jamaica Observer earlier this week that the company has been proactive, and has already established a number of protocols at the airport in collaboration with several government agencies, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency and the Jamaica Customs Agency, ahead of the scheduled reopening date.

“We always accepted that there will be a new normal and no one could precisely say when this situation will resolve itself completely,” Munroe said. “So we were always getting prepared for the fact that there may be, and you have to assume that there are, positive cases that will travel through the airport. The key thing here is the measures that you put in place to protect the staff and to protect the traveler.”

Other safety measures include having the Health Ministry on-site at the airport to conduct the screening of inbound passengers; the mandatory wearing of masks; the observance of physical distancing; the installation of plexiglass screens at the ticketing counters; the implementation of measures to minimize congestions; and the putting in place of a number of personnel to ensure travelers adhere to the guidelines.

“There will also be increased cleaning and sanitization of restrooms and high-touch areas, and the installation of automated hand sanitizers,” Munroe told the newspaper. “Protocols are also in place as to how to handle staff and traveling public who may display symptoms. In addition, an isolation area for the traveling public that may display symptoms have been implemented at the airport, and more than one [isolation area] for airport workers, including ground handlers, airlines, concessioners, redcap porters, and tourism transport operators.”