WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, says he is satisfied with the level of compliance with established COVID-19 protocols among tourism entities in the parish of Westmoreland.

Bartlett said he was pleased with what he saw during a tour of the parish recently to examine large and small hotels and villas, which he said “are fully compliant”.

According to the ministry, the tour was the latest in a series of onsite inspections of properties located along COVID-19 Resilient Corridors. It said the tours, which are led by Bartlett, examine properties that are certified in terms of requirements under Jamaica’s health and safety protocols.

In a statement today, the ministry said the Westmoreland tour entailed stops at Riu Palace Tropical Bay and Rondel Village in Negril as well as Zimbali Culinary Retreats; Bluefields Bay Villas and Whitehouse.

Bartlett also handed over an ambulance valued at $18 million to the Negril Fire Station, which was financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

The minister also defended the push to reopen the tourism industry while managing the coronavirus. He said that health security was at the foundation of the country’s tourism destination assurance framework.

“Jamaica has excelled and I’m excited at how the rest of the world is looking at us and viewing the way in which we have managed this pandemic,” he added.

The minister said the decision was made “to make sure that tourism toes the line” and supported the call by the Ministry of Health and Wellness that if there are constant cases of breaches “that we must take action, and strong action and we are at the forefront of seeing to it that that happens.”