It’s about to get easier to visit Jamaica’s white-sand beaches and spectacular waterfalls. Starting April 16, the Caribbean island nation is lifting many of its pandemic-related travel restrictions.
International visitors will no longer be required to produce a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test (previously, one had to be taken within 72 hours of departure). Additionally, the mandate requiring masking in indoor public spaces will end on April 15.
“Eliminating mask mandates and the need for travelers to present a negative COVID test result are important strides toward our continued gradual relaxation of travel protocols as the spread of COVID-19 keeps declining,” said Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism, in a press release. “We are optimistic that these simpler requirements will serve to increase the appeal of Jamaica as a premier destination and keep us moving along the road to a stronger recovery for both the tourism sector and the nation’s economy as a whole.”
Border control will not be checking vaccination cards—anyone can enter the country regardless of immunization status.
One pandemic-related measure sticking around is a requirement for public establishments to provide either hand sanitizer or somewhere for guests to wash their hands.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently downgraded Jamaica (and several other Caribbean nations, like Haiti and Saint Kitts and Nevis) to a Level 1 designation. Countries with that classification are considered to have low coronavirus case numbers. Still, the CDC recommends that people be up to date on vaccinations and wear a well-fitting mask in indoor spaces while they travel.
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