Caribbean COVID-19 Tourism Task Force called for continued diligence

The Caribbean Covid-19 Tourism Task Force has called for continued diligence and adherence to public health protection protocols. It excites all tourism-related stakeholders who can do so to be immunized as vaccines become more widely available. The Task Force stated the Caribbean has generally been prosperous in containing the virus over the past year to levels below those experienced in many parts of the globe. Covid-19 disease, hospitalization and death rates are amongst the most inferior in the world. 'This has been attributed to the early and ongoing response by many Caribbean governments, healthcare and tourism industry leaders, and the large number of Caribbean residents who have adhered to health safety protocols. 'The Task Force cautions that now is not the time to 'let down our guard', as the next several months will decide how swiftly the tourism-dependent country will be able to rebound. Tourism is seen by many as the impetus for accepting people back to work and returning much-needed revenue that authorities have lost due to the pandemic. Executive director of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha), Dr Joy St John, stated, 'We are now in a race against time, particularly given the presence of variants which spread more rapidly, we must adhere to health safety protocols lest we find ourselves moving backwards, rather than forwards.

'We must remain diligent while we continue to accelerate vaccinations of our populations, now that approved vaccines are becoming more available.'

'We urge countries to continue to intensify their surveillance activities to rapidly screen, identity, test, quarantine, isolate and trace contacts of new cases; and for every resident and visitor to the Caribbean to do their part through physical/social distancing, wearing of masks, and practising proper hand hygiene,' she advised, speaking on behalf of the Task Force. The Task Force has also advised all members of the public who are able to do so to become vaccinated once they become available and they are eligible. Data overwhelmingly supports the protection of World Health Organisation (WHO)-approved vaccines. The Task Force was built over a year ago to develop and collude on strategies and programmes directed at improving to share information; develop health safety rules and guidelines for the tourism industry to protect workers and travellers; manage health safety training; monitor and decrease Covid-19 events in the tourism industry, and support for sound health safety systems and the harmonization of said practices. Through the agency's works, more than 5,000 hotels and tourism-related administrators and administrators have experienced Carpha-led health safety education, which has transferred thousands more who the initial graduates have trained. The Task Force member organizations include Carpha, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States and the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center.