OPPOSITION LEADER CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO BE
DECISIVE IN THE ENSURING RETURN OF STRANDED JAMAICANS

 The Leader of Parliamentary Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips, MP, says indecisiveness by the Andrew Holness-led administration is the cause of the great uncertainty, stress and anxiety among the 1044 Jamaican crew aboard the “Adventures of the Sea” and their families. The cruise liner is now in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Haiti as it sails towards Jamaica to bring home the Jamaican staff who have been at sea for over two months.
“Every Jamaican citizen, under the Constitution of Jamaica, is entitled to the right to freedom of movement, this includes the right to enter their country. Section 13(3)(f) of the Constitution which is a part of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedom provides that one of the fundamental rights and freedoms to which each Jamaican citizen is entitled is: “the right of freedom of movement, that is to say, the right:- (i) of every citizen of Jamaica to enter Jamaica; and (ii) of every person lawfully in Jamaica, to move around freely throughout Jamaica, to reside in any part of the Jamaica and to leave Jamaica,”, the Opposition Leader asserted.
The 1044 Jamaican cruise ship workers have the right of entry to Jamaica and the government needs to move expeditiously to facilitate their re-entry, while protecting the health of all Jamaicans – who are exposed to the risk of COVID-19,” Dr Phillips said.
He said that from as early as March 2, the government was told in Parliament about this impending situation and was subsequently reminded on a number of occasions, long before this became a crisis, and yet to date, they remain indecisive as to how to manage this self-imposed crisis.
“Jamaicans need to know why no proper arrangement for testing on arrival and provisions for quarantine as necessary process, have been put in place to ensure the safe re-entry of hard working, taxpaying Jamaicans who serve in the cruise shipping industry. The government is the servant of the people and must act in the best interests of all,” the Opposition leader said.
There can be no excuse rooted in the absence of quarantine space, he said.  The government has been long aware of the number of Jamaicans who are overseas.
The Opposition Leader says quarantine beds could be arranged at this late stage if there were a willingness on the part of the Prime Minister to give the requisite instructions to the relevant Ministries, departments and agencies and testing ramped up, as it promised weeks ago.
Dr. Phillips called on the Prime Minister to resolve the issues stalling permission to enter Jamaican waters so the ship can be docked at Falmouth in accordance with the plans and in fulfilment of the rights of these hardworking Jamaican workers.