Jamaica – LACCOM

SPRING 2021

Governance and the Rule of Law

**The Jamaican flag.**

“Pull up jamaica” by ***Drim*** is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

In order to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Jamaican government has enacted strict policies to protect citizens and speed up economic reopening. Jamaica has experienced a new wave of cases in 2021, resulting in the highest number of cases on the island to date.

The island has been experiencing a new wave of cases and hopes to implement sufficient measures to stop the spread of the virus. Such measures include a ban on funeral services throughout the island and negative COVID-19 test requirements for travel entries. In April 2021, Jamaica’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie, said the country’s recent COVID-19 numbers suggest that there is a plateauing in the cases of new infections.
Jamaica became the first country in the Caribbean to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility in late March of 2021. As of April 2021, the country has administered over 135,000 vaccines.
Local authorities enacted a zero-tolerance policy for those who refuse to follow disaster management stipulations that require citizens to limit gatherings, wear masks, and social distance.
Community surveillance programs that track symptoms, contract trace, and require quarantines for specific high-infection areas are some of the efforts to track the spread of COVID-19
Local government opposition leaders have criticized Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie’s response to the pandemic, citing it as inefficient. The Minister has issued a public statement condemning the critiques.
The reopening of the tourism industry has allowed for positive, productive collaboration between the Jamaican government and industries like the Ministry of Wellness and Health and the Ministry of Tourism.
Because water is crucial to hygiene and COVID-19 public health suggestions, the government allocated $308 million in July to alleviate the consequences of drought and ensure potable water for proper sanitation nationwide.
The national government offers virtual town halls and weekly COVID-19 conversations for citizens to weigh in and listen to ongoing efforts to respond to the pandemic. Citizens can send in suggestions via email and tune in on a social media livestream.
The U.S. Southern Command donated a 40-bed field hospital to help Jamaica treat COVID-19 patients. Additionally, the Jamaican government is planning to build two additional facilities, which all together will add more than 100 additional beds for individuals requiring hospital care.
As of November 9, 2020, Jamaica’s Education Ministry began the process of opening its schools on a rolling basis.

See Select Resources for Governance and the Rule of Law

Growth and Innovation

**Jamaica is an oasis for tourists.**

“Jamaican sip” by ***Drim*** is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Jamaica depends highly on the tourism industry to employ citizens. COVID-19 has stunted economic growth, despite some initially promising signs of a resilient economy. Despite these economic and public health obstacles, the country seeks to continue fighting climate change as it recovers.

On March 22, 2021, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, Nigel Clarke, announced a COVID-19 relief package totaling $126 million, as well as three weekends of a curfew from noon to 5 a.m.
Jamaica has facilitated repatriation and crew changes for more than 3,700 seafarers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, through a successful inter-agency effort. Holness said Jamaica is proud to be among the first International Maritime Organization Member States that responded positively to initiatives and calls for action made by the United Nations and its agencies, among others, to designate seafarers as “key workers”.
Jamaica’s immigration website exposed thousands of travelers’ immigration data and COVID-19 lab results. The Jamaican government had contracted Amber Group to build the “JamCOVID19 website and app,” which the government uses to publish daily coronavirus figures and allows residents to self-report their symptoms. However, a cloud storage server with those uploaded documents was left unprotected and publicly spilled files onto the open web.
The Jamaican Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke described the pandemic as an “unprecedented event” that will require the help of the private sector in post-pandemic relief efforts.
Because its economy depends on tourism, Jamaica suffers from stunted economic activity due to closed borders. Despite the country’s recent border reopening, there continue to be debates regarding the level of economic reopening the country should undergo given the increased spread of COVID-19.
Just days after the borders reopened, United States tourists brough new COVID-19 cases into the country. The island has implemented mandatory testing for tourists.
Despite mandatory testing for tourists, locals are worried that keeping tourists accountable for following social distancing and masks guidelines requires more government vigilance, and some are speaking out in favor of closing the borders again.
Jamaica is one of 11 countries worldwide that has submitted a comprehensive climate plan under the Paris Agreement for stricter environmental practices in COVID-19 times.
The Disaster Risk Management policy framework and CARE Programme, aimed to support small businesses, have proven innovative opportunities for the Jamaican economy to monitor economic activity and bolster future shocks.
The Say Yes to Fresh campaign has allowed for the redistribution of surplus agricultural products to needy citizens to address food insecurity while making use of existing markets and uplifting farmers affected by the pandemic.
The agricultural sector has grown 7.5%, and the government is building infrastructure to support farmer mobility and economic success and improve needy communities’ access to local products.
Marijuana and ganja farmers have been heavily impacted by hurricane season and strict COVID-19 measures as they are bound to curfews and cannot tend to their fields at night.
Financial shocks abroad have led to the decreased flow of remittances by 1.2% since early this year. Though increases in online remittance transactions during the pandemic have made up for the losses of other money orders, further decreases will have an adverse impact on citizens who depend on this income.
The government plans to spend the next year improving medical and research capacity across the island for future health crises.

See Select Resources for Growth and Innovation

Social and Cultural Inclusion

**The Jamaican shoreline.**

“Hit the road” by ***Drim*** is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The country has embraced the need to address mental health concerns related to COVID-19. Many who have lost their jobs in the tourism and informal sectors have experienced trauma as a result of the pandemic. The Jamaican government has also noted that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to mental and physical stress from the pandemic.

A meme claiming that Jamaica had not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 was virally circulating the internet in late March 2021. The claim was promulgated by popular rapper Snoop Dogg. The reality is that Jamaica has been experiencing a new wave of cases since the beginning of the year.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton has announced that the Ministry will be launching a new mental health initiative in response to COVID-19 that will be focusing on the elderly.
Despite cultural stigmas, there has been an increase in access to mental health services, such as online counselling, since the onset of the pandemic.
Women have been disproportionately infected with COVID-19 on the island.
With the line “COVID is no joke, it gets worse with smoke,” Jamaica initiated an anti-smoking campaign to educate citizens on the increased threats of COVID-19 for smokers. with the lin
Beyond online resources, many mental health clinics have remained open throughout the pandemic in order to see patients seeking to discuss traumatic situations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some citizens have reported severe impacts on their livelihoods due to store closures, movement restrictions, and rising utilities prices from work-from-home environments.
Citizens known to have tested positive are experiencing high levels of discrimination in Jamaica, similar to levels experienced by those living with HIV.
Prestigious universities, like the University of the West Indies-Mona campus, have made their admissions requirements more flexible and distributed wireless devices to make education more accessible.
The government feeds 2,000 homeless people 30,000 meals per day and has built new drop-in stations for hot meals, beds, and health care for needy populations across the island.
The government and medical industries will work together to employ numerous junior doctors who are struggling to secure jobs to increase industry capacity during the pandemic and increase employment rates.
The President of the Jamaica Teachers Association and educators cite the need for more nurses in schools as the school-year approaches. Many schools are without nurses, despite calls for years to increase their numbers; they are seen as a burden on budgets, but the pandemic calls for more professionals.
The annual music festival Reggae Sumfest went virtual for its 2020 line-up. The campaign on Facebook and YouTube brought in over 200,000 listeners virtually making it an extreme success after the in-person festival was postponed.

See Select Resources for Social and Cultural Inclusion

SPRING/ FALL 2020

Governance and Rule of Law

In order to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Jamaican government has enacted strict policies to protect citizens and speed up economic reopening.

Local authorities enacted a zero-tolerance policy for those who refuse to follow disaster management stipulations that require citizens to limit gatherings, wear masks, and social distance.
Community surveillance programs that track symptoms, contract trace, and require quarantines for specific high-infection areas are some of the efforts to track the spread of COVID-19
Local government opposition leaders have criticized Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie’s response to the pandemic, citing it as inefficient. The Minister has issued a public statement condemning the critiques.
The reopening of the tourism industry has allowed for positive, productive collaboration between the Jamaican government and industries like the Ministry of Wellness and Health and the Ministry of Tourism.
Because water is crucial to hygiene and COVID-19 public health suggestions, the government allocated $308 million in July to alleviate the consequences of drought and ensure potable water for proper sanitation nationwide.
The national government offers virtual town halls and weekly COVID-19 conversations for citizens to weigh in and listen to ongoing efforts to respond to the pandemic. Citizens can send in suggestions via email and tune in on a social media livestream.

Growth and Innovation

Because its economy depends on tourism, Jamaica suffers from stunted economic activity due to closed borders. Despite the country’s recent border reopening, there continue to be debates regarding the level of economic reopening the country should undergo given the increased spread of COVID-19.
Just days after the borders reopened, United States tourists brough new COVID-19 cases into the country. The island has implemented mandatory testing for tourists.
Despite mandatory testing for tourists, locals are worried that keeping tourists accountable for following social distancing and masks guidelines requires more government vigilance, and some are speaking out in favor of closing the borders again.
Jamaica is one of 11 countries worldwide that has submitted a comprehensive climate plan under the Paris Agreement for stricter environmental practices in COVID-19 times.
The Disaster Risk Management policy framework and CARE Programme, aimed to support small businesses, have proven innovative opportunities for the Jamaican economy to monitor economic activity and bolster future shocks.
The Say Yes to Fresh campaign has allowed for the redistribution of surplus agricultural products to needy citizens to address food insecurity while making use of existing markets and uplifting farmers affected by the pandemic.
The agricultural sector has grown 7.5%, and the government is building infrastructure to support farmer mobility and economic success and improve needy communities’ access to local products.
Financial shocks abroad have led to the decreased flow of remittances by 1.2% since early this year. Though increases in online remittance transactions during the pandemic have made up for the losses of other money orders, further decreases will have an adverse impact on citizens who depend on this income.
The government plans to spend the next year improving medical and research capacity across the island for future health crises.

Social and Cultural Inclusion

Despite cultural stigmas, there has been an increase in access to mental health services, such as online counselling, since the onset of the pandemic.
Women have been disproportionately infected with COVID-19 on the island.
With the line “COVID is no joke, it gets worse with smoke,” Jamaica initiated an anti-smoking campaign to educate citizens on the increased threats of COVID-19 for smokers. with the lin
Beyond online resources, many mental health clinics have remained open throughout the pandemic in order to see patients seeking to discuss traumatic situations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some citizens have reported severe impacts on their livelihoods due to store closures, movement restrictions, and rising utilities prices from work-from-home environments.
Citizens known to have tested positive are experiencing high levels of discrimination in Jamaica, similar to levels experienced by those living with HIV.
Prestigious universities, like the University of the West Indies-Mona campus, have made their admissions requirements more flexible and distributed wireless devices to make education more accessible.
The government feeds 2,000 homeless people 30,000 meals per day and has built new drop-in stations for hot meals, beds, and health care for needy populations across the island.
The government and medical industries will work together to employ numerous junior doctors who are struggling to secure jobs to increase industry capacity during the pandemic and increase employment rates.
The President of the Jamaica Teachers Association and educators cite the need for more nurses in schools as the school-year approaches. Many schools are without nurses, despite calls for years to increase their numbers; they are seen as a burden on budgets, but the pandemic calls for more professionals.
The annual music festival Reggae Sumfest went virtual for its 2020 line-up. The campaign on Facebook and YouTube brought in over 200,000 listeners virtually making it an extreme success after the in-person festival was postponed.
UWI-Mona is facing difficult decisions as it approaches the start of its hybrid school-year at the end of August. Because of a drop in the value of the Jamaican dollar tuition has risen, and students may be asked to pay more to live in private, on-campus housing.

Select resources for Jamaica:

Governance and the Rule of Law:

Caribbean National Weekly. (2021, February15). Jamaica to Implement Ticketing System for COVID-19 Protocol Breaches. https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/jamaica-to-implement-ticketing-system-for-covid-19-protocol-breaches/.

————. (2021, April 5). Jamaica COVID-19 Cases Reach Plateau Says Chief Medical Officer. https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/jamaica-covid-19-cases-reach-plateau-says-chief-medical-officer/.

Charles, J. (2020, September 24). Jamaica’s surging COVID crisis just got help: U.S. donates field hospital. Miami Herald. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article245965315.html.

Charles, J., Tavel, J., Gamez Torres, N., Ortiz-Blanes, S., & Kinkaid, J. (2020, June 10). COVID-19 in the Americas: ‘The past six months have shaken our world.’. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article241249651.html.

Economic Times. (2021, March 16). Chris Gayle thanks PM Modi for sending COVID-19 vaccines to Jamaica. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/chris-gayle-thanks-pm-modi-for-sending-covid-19-vaccines-to-jamaica/articleshow/81583371.cms.

The Jamaica Gleaner. (2020, November 12). Jamaica targets 30,000 for COVID vaccine. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20201112/jamaica-targets-30000-covid-vaccine.

McLeod, S.-K. (2020, November 16). Jamaica’s Education Ministry Considering Reopening More Schools. Caribbean News. https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/jamaicas-education-ministry-considering-reopening-more-schools/.

Ministry of Local Government & Community Development. (2020, April 23). Local Government Minister Rebuffs Opposition Claims That Disaster Co-ordinators and Social Agencies Not Fully Mobilized to Fight Covid-19. https://www.localgovjamaica.gov.jm/local-government-minister-rebuffs-opposition-claims-that-disaster-co-ordinators-and-social-agencies-not-fully-mobilized-to-fight-covid-19/.

Ministry of Tourism. (2020, June 24). Tourism and Health Ministries Collaborate to Safely Fully Reopen Borders. https://www.mot.gov.jm/news-releases/tourism-and-health-ministries-collaborate-safely-fully-reopen-borders.

Pan American Health Organization. (2021, March 15). Jamaica becomes first country in the Caribbean to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility. https://www.paho.org/en/news/15-3-2021-jamaica-becomes-first-country-caribbean-receive-covid-19-vaccines-through-covax.

Smith, A. (2020, July 16). Gov’t Allocates $308 Million To Alleviate Drought Conditions. Jamaica Information Service. https://jis.gov.jm/govt-allocates-308-million-to-alleviate-drought-conditions/.

————. (2021, February 17). Gov’t Partners With Private Sector To Accelerate Access To COVID-19 Vaccines. Jamaica Information Service. https://jis.gov.jm/govt-partners-with-private-sector-to-accelerate-access-to-covid-19-vaccines/.

Voice of America. (2020, September 8). Jamaica launches new initiatives to control spread of Coronavirius. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/jamaica-launches-new-initiatives-control-spread-coronavirius.

————. (2021, February 10). Jamaica Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions Wednesday Following Surge in Infections. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/jamaica-tightens-covid-19-restrictions-wednesday-following-surge-infections.

————. (2021, March 2). Jamaica Begins New Restrictions to Curb Spread of COVID-19. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/jamaica-begins-new-restrictions-curb-spread-covid-19.

————. (2021, March 16). Jamaica to Begin Mass Vaccinations of Top Gov’t Officials Over 60 Years Old. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/jamaica-begin-mass-vaccinations-top-govt-officials-over-60-years-old.

Growth and Innovation:

Caribbean National Weekly. (2021, April 5). Jamaica COVID-19 Cases Reach Plateau Says Chief Medical Officer. https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/jamaica-covid-19-cases-reach-plateau-says-chief-medical-officer/.

Caribbean News. (2020, September 30). Jamaica calls for “Unprecedented response” to COVID-19. https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/jamaica-calls-for-unprecedented-response-to-covid-19/.

Doyle, A. (2020, July 3). Jamaica becomes first Caribbean nation to submit tougher climate plan to UN. https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/07/02/jamaica-becomes-first-caribbean-nation-submit-tougher-climate-plan-un/.

Ewing-Chow, D. (2020, April 30). Jamaica Responds To COVID-19 By Ramping Up Healthy Food Consumption. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2020/04/30/jamaica-responds-to-covid-19-by-ramping-up-healthy-food-consumption/.

Hendricks, C., & Coto, D. (2021, February 5). Jamaica faces marijuana shortage as farmers struggle. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/world-news-jamaica-kingston-coronavirus-pandemic-marijuana-2d9e9c6dbc4d311e7b7085708eca0571.

Henry, O. (2020, July 19). Bingham Hill Farm Road Rehabilitated. https://jis.gov.jm/bingham-hill-farm-road-rehabilitated/.

Hodges, P. (2021, April 19). Jamaica Has Facilitated The Repatriation Of Over 3,700 Seafarers Since The Start Of COVID-19. Jamaica Information Service. https://jis.gov.jm/jamaica-has-facilitated-the-repatriation-of-over-3700-seafarers-since-the-start-of-covid-19/.

Hoffman, B. (2020, April 20). COVID-19 in the Caribbean: So Open, so Vulnerable. https://aulablog.net/2020/04/20/covid-19-in-the-caribbean-so-open-so-vulnerable/.

Inter-American Development Bank. (2020, April). Caribbean economies in the time of coronavirus. https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Caribbean_Quarterly_Bulletin_Volume_9_Issue_1_April_2020.pdf.

————. (2020, April 12). Weathering the Coronavirus Storm in the Caribbean. https://www.iadb.org/en/improvinglives/weathering-coronavirus-storm-caribbean.

International Monetary Fund. (2020, May 15). IMF Executive Board Approves a US$ 520 Million Disbursement to Jamaica to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/05/15/pr20217-jamaica-imf-executive-board-approves-disbursement-to-address-the-covid-19-pandemic.

————. (2020, May 28). Jamaica Ramps Up Social and Economic Support in COVID-19 Response. https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/05/27/na052720-jamaica-ramps-up-social-and-economic-support-in-covid-19-response.

Jackson, S. (2020, June 24). Remittances down but not out – Wehby sees green shots in May, June transfers. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20200624/remittances-down-not-out-wehby-sees-green-shots-may-june-transfers.

Linton, L. (2020, July 17). Health Minister Says COVID-19 Recovery Plan Far Advanced. https://jis.gov.jm/health-minister-says-covid-19-recovery-plan-far-advanced/.

Voice of America. (2020, June 12). Tourists, Jamaicans Returning to Island after Tuesday Face Mandatory Coronavirus Testing. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/tourists-jamaicans-returning-island-after-tuesday-face-mandatory-coronavirus.

Whittaker, Z. (2021, February 17). Jamaica’s immigration website exposed thousands of travelers’ data. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/17/jamaica-immigration-travelers-data-exposed/.

Wilson, K. (2020, June 22). Jamaica Reports 14 New Coronavirus Cases Just Days After Reopening. https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/travel/jamaica-new-coronavirus-cases-reopening-tourists/.

Social and Cultural Inclusion:

Davis, G. (2020, July 16). Gov’t Providing Over 30,000 Meals Per Day For Vulnerable Persons. Jamaica Information Service. https://jis.gov.jm/govt-providing-over-30000-meals-per-day-for-vulnerable-persons/.

Hibbert, K. (2020, August 2). Speid: School nurse issue must be addressed now. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/speid-school-nurse-issue-must-be-addressed-now_199879?profile=1373.

Jamaica Gleaner. (2020, October 1). COVID mental health initiative for the elderly. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20201001/covid-mental-health-initiative-elderly.

Jamaica Ministry of Health. (2020). COVID-19 Spread Data. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://jamcovid19.moh.gov.jm/index.html.

Jamaica Observer. (2020). MDLink increases access to mental health care amid COVID-19. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/your-health-your-wealth/_197733?profile=1754.

————. (2020, August 2). Reggae Sumfest 2020 virtual festival breaks records. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/reggae-sumfest-2020-virtual-festival-breaks-records_199829?profile=1373.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS). (2020, May 8). Combatting COVID-19 discrimination in Jamaica. https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2020/may/20200508_jamaica.

Ministry of Local Government & Community Development. (2020, July 20). Trelawny gets Drop-In Centre. https://www.localgovjamaica.gov.jm/trelawny-gets-drop-in-centre/.

Randall, F. (2020, August 1). UWI unease. Jamaica Observer. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/uwi-unease-no-decision-yet-if-students-will-pay-more-to-live-on-private-halls_199818?profile=1373.

United Nations World Food Programme. (n.d.). Caribbean COVID19 Food Security & Livelihoods Survey 2020 Dashboard. https://unwfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/761eed1a539640dcaeaefcec4c5b5a5b.

University of West Indies. (2020, April 29). The UWI Mona to distribute more than 500 Devices to expand Internet Access for Distance Learning: Marketing and Communications Office, The University of West Indies at Mona. https://www.mona.uwi.edu/marcom/newsroom/entry/7797.

————. (2020, May 28). The UWI Modifies Matriculation in Response to COVID-19: Marketing and Communications Office, The University of West Indies at Mona. https://www.mona.uwi.edu/marcom/newsroom/entry/7815.

Wagner, B. (2021, March 30). Fact Check: Jamaica is not insulated from the COVID-19 pandemic. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/30/fact-check-jamaica-has-recorded-over-38-k-covid-19-cases/6983341002/.

Walker, A. (2020, July 19). Gov’t To Employ “Substantial Number” Of Junior Doctors. https://jis.gov.jm/govt-to-employ-substantial-number-of-junior-doctors/.