The People’s National Party’s Opposition Spokesman on National Security, Fitz Jackson is describing as draconian and inhumane, the alleged abandoning of Jamaicans aboard a cruise vessel which entered the port of Kingston last Thursday.

 In a statement over the weekend Mr. Jackson says no individual should be abandoned by their country of origin, especially in a time of global uncertainty.

He’s responding to news that 45 Jamaicans aboard the cruise ship Marella Discovery 2 were allegedly denied entry into the island with no alternative provisions for their well-being.

Mr. Jackson says the information available to the Opposition, suggests while the vessel was refueling,  a request was made to have the Jamaicans disembark, but the government failed to respond in time, and the vessel left a day later.

He says the government needs to establish appropriate guidelines that will inform how Jamaican nationals who’re outside of the mainland must be treated.

The Shadow Minister is also calling on the government to clearly instruct overseas missions, with the help of the Jamaican Diaspora, to put in place safe houses for stranded Jamaicans in the interim while the borders to the island are closed.

 

The Gov’t Responds

In the meantime, the government says the ship’s crew was not admitted entry because necessary quarantine arrangements were not made.

In a joint statement, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Security, say they’re stating the facts concerning the request made on April two, to allow entry and landing of Jamaican workers who were aboard the Marella Discovery 2.

The Ministries say the vessel did not come into the Jamaican port on April 2, but was anchored at the California Bluffs, 12 miles south of Port Royal for re-fuelling.

They say the Ship’s Agent contacted the Port Authority and Port Health and advised that there were 43 Jamaican crew members requesting landing.

According to the statement, the relevant authorities notified the Ship’s agent that ports were closed and that landing of the crew would require an exemption.

The Emergency Health Operations learned of the situation on the evening of April two.

It says the Health Authorities made enquiries of temperature checks and any incidents of COVID-19 on the vessel.

And they tried to arrange appropriate quarantine facilities and resources to determine if an exemption could be granted.

According to the joint statement, those efforts were discontinued when on April three Ship’s Agent withdrew the request for landing and the vessel continued on its route.

The Ministries say they surmised that the Ship’s Captain decided not to wait in light of the existing legal restrictions regarding our borders.

The Ministries also say at the time of the request, the relevant authorities were still trying to locate the 5-thousand persons who entered Jamaica between March 18 and 24 and had not reported to the Health and Wellness Ministry.

The Ministries say that presented a high risk, as there was evidence that many of those persons were not abiding to the self quarantine guidelines.

And that accepting people from a Cruise ship, without confirming quarantine arrangements, would’ve created a higher risk and pose a further threat to public health and safety.

The statement says the government is now considering protocols to permit what it calls ‘controlled re-entry’ of Jamaicans when possible.

And it says that’s based on quarantine and isolation capacity and other variables.