Caribbean governments face challenges of COVID-19

News reports have confirmed that Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, has offered her assistance to her fellow Jamaicans. She recently held a virtual meeting to reach all of those separated from their loved ones.

According to South Florida News, over 300 stranded Jamaicans from all over the world called in. Marks also invited Jamaica’s consul general to New York, Alsion Wilson; consul general to Miami, Oliver Mair, and deputy chief of mission at the Jamaican Embassy, Andrea Dubidad-Dixon, to lend their expertise and support in resolving the issue.

Marks said the Jamaican Embassy had discussed with U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) the topic of granting waivers to Jamaicans whose visas have expired as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown. After much discussion, Marks assured everyone that her office is working with the USCIS to waive the $450 visa renewal fee since many stranded workers would be unable to afford this unplanned expense.

She also assured the stranded workers that the government and the embassy “are working as hard as possible to ensure that you make it home, we understand your circumstances and eagerness to return home.”

In addition, the embassy has opened a call center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday for people to call and request assistance, regardless of their immigration status. The number is 1-877-226-6870 and the email address is consul@jamaicanembassy.org.

“We’re actually asking persons who are in that situation to contact us at the embassy and we’re responding by email to explain what they can do if they are potentially out of status,” Marks said at a recent digital town hall. Marks did, however, warn that Jamaicans must be able to prove that they made plans to leave the United States before the travel restriction to avoid cancellation of their visa.

Hats off to the JA government and other Caribbean countries for pulling out all stops to ensure the safety and well-being of their citizens!

On the heels of the U.S. government contemplating the reopening of some states and getting the economy back in gear, the prime minister of the Bahamas, Dr. Hubert Minnis, recently spoke about cruise ships and airlines returning to the Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean when the pandemic slows. Many responded in disbelief.

What should the protocol be moving forward? Minnis was quoted as saying that “The members of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) are in discussions with the airline industry and the CARICOM community as to protocols moving forward in terms of standard protocols for airlines, protocols for cruise ships, etc., and once that is completed and done and accepted by all individuals then I don’t think that would be a problem moving forward.”

Minnis reassured reporters that the governments are consulting their local health officials and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and will reopen “with the greatest degree of precaution to minimize any possibility of a resurge.”

Haiti is the only country in the Caribbean region that the United Nations is seeking to help through their $2 billion COVID-19 response plan. That is why the governments of the Caribbean do not have room for any errors and have to be very careful about their next steps.

This COVID-19 virus is taking its toll on all of us. The virus has affected us mentally, physically and spiritually and so it is paramount that governments around the world make decisions for the greater good. We all need to know that our leaders have our best interest at heart as we strive to fight the good fight.