Gov’t says measures in place to prevent people from UK entering country
THE Government believes it has sufficient measures in place to prevent persons entering the island from the United Kingdom (UK), via transit ports, while the present travel ban is in place.
The Jamaica Observer has received reports that people wanting to enter the island from the UK have been travelling to the United States and other countries before heading to Jamaica in an effort to avoid going into the required 14-day state quarantine.
But Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of National Security Matthew Samuda says most, if not all, of the people who have tried this have been caught.
According to Samuda, some people who are British passport holders, have tried to enter the island via other jurisdictions have been blocked.
He said others with non-UK passports who have sought to enter by way of disjointed flights through the United States and the Eastern Caribbean, have also been rejected.
“We have caught attempts [being made] and blocked those before they got here. Literally one or two [have landed]; it hasn’t reached 10 persons either because of how they book their ticket. Because of IATA (International Air Transport Association), or the JAMCOVID back end, somehow they found a way to come, but those persons upon reaching Jamaica would have gone into Government quarantine,” Samuda told the Observer.
He said through the approval system on the JAMCOVID platform, persons with British passports attempting to come here, are either blocked or heavily reviewed. “So you could have a person with a British passport coming through Florida, but they have been in Florida for a month, or two months. It’s really up to the MOH (Ministry of Health) as they review the process, to see if the person represents a US risk, or a UK risk,” Samuda explained.The minister argued that while no system is perfect, persons certainly have not been slipping through the cracks, as there are several tiers of monitoring that would catch anyone seeking to enter surreptitiously. “So I can’t say it’s impossible, I can say it’s highly improbable. But I would be surprised to know of it happening on any scale that would concern the country.
Taken from: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/g_211608?profile=1373