No charge to tourism workers to be vaccinated, says JHTA

President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Clifton Reader says tourism workers are not being charged to participate in the sector's COVID-19 vaccination drive.

“All the administrative costs of hosting VAX days under the programme, including location set up at hotels and other tourism allied facilities, are being borne by the larger JHTA member hotels and allied companies,” said Reader, who is also the co-chair of the Tourism Vaccination Task Force.

“The blitz targets hotels and guest houses, attractions, airports, cruise ports, craft markets, and ground transport operators,” he continued. 

Reader pointed out that three vaccination days have already been held and that others will continue across the island over the next three months. 

Targetting 170,000 tourism workers for vaccination, the task force is working in tandem with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica and various tourism stakeholders, both within the public and private sectors, to streamline and expedite the vaccination of tourism workers, the JHTA head noted in a statement today. 

The vaccination blitzes are being hosted in collaboration with the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative and other proposed sites for future vaccination activities for the tourism sector include Emancipation Park in New Kingston; Harmony Beach Park, Montego Bay in St James; Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier in Trelawny; Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth and the Port Antonio Cruise Ship Pier in Portland.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.