Planning To Vacation In Jamaica? New State Of Emergency Has Been Declared
A widespread streak of violence is currently affecting Jamaica, including tourist zones. Now, for the third time since 2018, the Caribbean country has declared a new State of Emergency. Due to this, people planning a vacation here should rethink their reservations. Read on to find out how serious the violence is on the ground in Jamaica to ascertain whether you should cancel your trip.
Jamaica is under a new State of Emergency
Jamaica is a popular Caribbean destination, with warm weather all year round, idyllic beaches and natural wonders. Moreover, the island is a great cultural destination, offering delicious Afro-Caribbean cuisine. Visitors can choose to relax on a beach, swim in crystal clear water, swim in aqua blue inland grottos, or hike in beautiful nature.
The bustling cities are exciting with their many restaurants, bars and other activities. Due to all this, tourists tend to flock to the island, but right now, it might be better to stay away.
Why should people stay away from Jamaica?
While Jamaica has been making an exceptional recovery from the pandemic, a darker side to the island is making people rethink their visit. What most people don’t realize is that Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
After starting to recover tourism following the pandemic, Jamaica has been slowly backsliding on the security front. Moreover, authorities are struggling to curb the violence of organized crime which puts the island high on countries with the highest crime rates in the world.
Jamaica is currently going through a surge of violence, with an increase in murder cases. The blame is being laid on gang activity, as well as the establishment of paramilitary divisions around the island. So far, there are few reports of tourists being affected by the violence, but the situation is bad enough to warrant the new declaration of a State of Emergency.
People living in luxury developments and gated villas don’t see the problems, but things are now so bad, Prime Minister Andrew Holness had to take action. This week, he announced a new State of Emergency (SOE) in nine out of 14 parishes on the island or 64.29 percent of the country.
The reality is that a State Of Public Emergency is an important tool that the Executive arm of Government can utilise for an intended purpose.
It is not the intention of the Government to abuse these powers. We are using these powers to SAVE LIVES. #SOESSaveLives pic.twitter.com/Yfm3rTezN8
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) December 7, 2022
Meanwhile, this includes Saint James, which encompasses the major tourist destination of Montego Bay. Moreover, other administrative regions affected are Clarendon, Saint Catherine, Westmoreland, Hanover, Kingston (only partially), Saint Ann (only partially), and Saint James (only partially).
How effective are States of Emergency?
In the past, Jamaica has announced SOEs several times, targeting hotspots for gang violence in large urban centers, especially Kingston and Montego Bay. In fact, the latest SOE is a re-enactment of an earlier one that expired in November after the Senate refused to grant an extension.
However, in an address to the Jamaican public, Holness said that Jamaica is facing “some really serious” criminal threats. In fact, he said the Government has to use “all the powers” at its disposal to target this.
How safe is it to visit Jamaica?
Taking the violence into account, the US Department of State has urged Americans to reconsider travel to Jamaica due to violence and crime. It listed the areas mentioned above as “no-go” zones and in Kingston, tourists should avoid traveling to:
- Cassava Piece
- Downtown Kingston (Olympic Gardens, Seaview Gardens, Trench Town, and Tivlo Gardens)
- Duhaney Park
- Grants Pen
- Standpipe
- Elleston Flats
- August Town
In Montego Bay, Level 4 areas are the following:
- Canterbury
- Flankers
- Glendevon
- Mount Salem
- Norwood
- Paradise Heights
- Rose Heights
While admittedly, tourists staying in all-inclusive resorts or tourist complexes, far from the violence in downtown Kingston, likely won’t be affected. Suburban Montego Bay is also relatively safe.
According to Nicola Madden-Greig, President of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), while the situation in Jamaica is serious right now, it would not necessarily impact American visitors. However, tourists are been cautioned when leaving their resort and told to keep a low profile and avoid deserted places.
For those flying into Montego Bay to sunbathe and relax by the pool, watching the sun go down at their hotel, there is nothing to worry about. However, anyone wishing to go farther afield should probably rethink their trip.