MONTEGO BAY, St James — In yet another sign that COVID-19’s once death-like grip on the country continues to wane, Sangster International Airport will on June 17 close its testing site for the virus.

“Majority of the passengers utilising Sangster International are destined for the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and those countries no longer require proof of a COVID test to be done for them to check in for their flights. Since the US changed their requirement on Saturday, we’ve had very few persons utilising the facility as the demand has significantly reduced,” commercial business development and marketing manager for MBJ Airports Limited Sharon Hislop-Holt told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

MBJ Airports Limited is the operators of the western resort city’s airport.

Heslop said since Saturday there had been a 98 per cent drop in the number of tests done at the airport daily.

“Based on the final destination of some passengers, there may still be a need for testing. Therefore, we are advising the public, giving them advance notice, that the facility will cease operation end of day Friday. Passengers can make arrangements to conduct their tests at off-site facilities,” she added.

Jamaica’s heavily tourism reliant economy, like others around the globe, took a beating for almost two years as borders were shut and commercial flights grounded at the height of the pandemic. Jamaica began welcoming visitors back in June 2021 with stringent measures in place to keep visitors and locals safe. The airport testing site was among measures implemented to facilitate airline travel as the world learned to live with COVID-19. At some point most, if not all, of the countries in Jamaica’s major tourism markets required travellers to be vaccinated and or have proof of a negative COVID-19 test. These requirements have gradually loosened as the perceived threat from the virus decreases.

Heslop said the SIA testing site was operated under a contractual arrangement with Baywest Medical, a local health-care provider that has other testing sites in Montego Bay.

“We thank Baywest Medical for providing an essential service during the period,” she said.