Tourism CEO clarifies workers must be vaccinated to enter official sites

By Aaron Humes: More than 80 percent of workers in the tourism industry have taken at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as required, but there are concerns that vaccination is not required of tourists who may spread the virus in-country if they bring it here or catch it in transit.

While the regulations are guided by officials at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Nicole Solano has told Channel 5 News that in reviewing the concerns raised, the ministry sought clarification from the Attorney General’s Ministry. She pointed out that tourism workers are included in the category of people who are considered “frontline workers,” hence they are required to take the shots.

Solano said the regulations extend to archaeological sites and indeed all sites requiring some form of check-in.

“There was also a need to clarify what the vaccination card needs to say – whether it would require one dose or both doses. We received the clarification that as long as the tour guide or the tour operator has at least one dose of the vaccine that they would be allowed to enter,” Solano continued.

Crucially, “In the case of tour guides and tour operators, in the new legislation, or the new S.I. that just came out, a negative test will not be accepted. Tour guides and tour operators would need to present a vaccination card. There’s a small percentage of people who we are aware are not vaccinated and when I say small percentage – we’re hearing numbers upwards of ninety percent being vaccinated, so when it comes to tourism frontline workers, the vast majority of them are vaccinated,” she concluded.

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