The following is a statement from the US Embassy in Jamaica, responding to “a number of incorrect assertions” published in a newspaper article.

The United States Government is committed to the fight against COVID-19 globally.  As previously stated, in response to significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State has temporarily suspended routine visa services at all US Embassies and Consulates.  However, in an attempt to be responsive and to provide clear guidance to applicants who had questions concerning petitions by medical professionals, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs posted a notice on its website clarifying that medical professionals with approved petitions were welcome to continue to apply.  We recognize that our initial notice was not clearly worded, and have since updated it to clarify that this only applied to applicants with approved petitions or existing participants in certified exchange programs.   This is in no way a call for health professionals to abandon their nation’s fight against COVID-19 to support the efforts of the United States, as we are all in this fight together.

The embassy is concerned that the Gleaner’s article ‘Health Worker Tests Positive’ dated March 30, 2020, presents a number of incorrect assertions about the US government’s policies and gives the false assertion that the Embassy’s spokesperson Counsellor for Public Affairs, Jeremiah Knight was contacted and did not respond.  The embassy refers to the Observer article ‘US urges medical professionals with approved visa petitions to contact Embassies’, also dated March 30, for an accurate depiction of US government policies as well as a full attributed response from the embassy’s spokesperson.

The US Embassy in Jamaica continues to partner with the Jamaican government to contain the spread of COVID19 in the island.  We are taking steps to provide material support and share information among public health experts to better understand this disease and to stem fatalities.  COVID19 is a common enemy to all of us.  We must stand united and avoid attempts to be divisive in this time.  Let’s all do our part to #flattenthecurve.