KINGSTON, Jamaica — More Jamaicans stranded in Antigua and St Kitts and Nevis since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are to return home soon.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith yesterday announced that Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has received its regulatory approvals to operate regular Kingston, Antigua and Barbados return flights.

The flights are scheduled to start next weekend and are currently accepting bookings.

The minister made the announcement in a series of tweets.

“My counterpart in Antigua & Barbuda has also thankfully confirmed that yesterday, their Cabinet formally approved the “travel bubble” to include OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), Jamaica and other Caricom (Caribbean Community) countries so that you will not need to get a PCR test before travelling there,” Johnson Smith said.

She also urged Jamaicans in St Kitts and Nevis to make bookings/confirm their CAL Antigua to Kingston flight and then contact Honorary Consul Desmond Sharpe, “who has agreed to make arrangements to get you to Antigua in time for your flight”.

The minister reiterated that the ministry is working hard to facilitate the return of citizens within the reality that it cannot mandate airlines to fly or to charge reduced fares.