Jamaica has vaccinated more than 2,000 tourism workers in its latest vaccination drive.
The total came after just three days, using one of three vaccines made available as part of the newly-established Tourism Vaccination Task Force.
That included 1,200 workers vaccinated on site at the Pegasus Hotel; 556 tourism workers vaccinated at Sandals Negril; and another 385 workers vaccinated at Moon Palace in Ocho Rios.
“The initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative (PSVI) to drive the vaccination of the 170,000 workers of the industry across all sub-sectors,” said Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.
“We are seeing the willingness of the workers now as evidenced by the out-turns that we have seen in the last three days since the program has started,” Bartlett said.
More vaccine “blitz” sites are being set up in destinations including Negril, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and the South Coast, with the goal of 600 vaccinations per days.
“The intention is not to impose on the existing health infrastructure to enable this vaccination program, so the doctors, nurses and all infrastructural arrangements are being provided by us through the coalition,” Bartlett said.