Jamaica minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has warned that violations of Covid-19 protocols will not be condoned in the sector after the controversial staging of the Mocha Fest event at Rick’s Café in Negril which was in direct breach of the government’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and was a Covid-19 violations.
“The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), which is a public body of the ministry of tourism, has acted immediately to ensure that appropriate steps were taken to punish the entity that was in breach of the protocols,” said Bartlett in a statement.
“As Minister, I am deeply saddened by any activity whatsoever which breaches any element of the DRMA. These breaches undermine the protocols that we worked so hard to create and the resilient corridors which have gained international recognition because of the high compliance level which we have had and the impeccable record of very low instances of infection,” said Bartlett.
“I want to make it very clear that the ministry of tourism will not tolerate any breaches whatsoever of the protocols that we have established to facilitate the safe operation of the sector. Failing which, the security forces are well aware of their actions and their rights in that regard,” he warned.
“All our partners, local and international, who will engage our tourism product over the next few months and as long as the Disaster Risk Management Act exists must be compliant in all regards,” added the tourism minister.
The TPDCo (Tourism Product Development Company Ltd.) took away Covid-19 compliance certification from the venue with immediately and the the cafe will have to undergo a re-certification exercise to ensure strict adherence to the established Covid-19 health and safety protocols before it can be allowed to accept visitors again.
They, the ministry of the local government and rural development has announced that the venue is going to be closed for seven days and that the management of the establishment has been called for meeting with the officials cause of the Covid-19 Violations.
