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| Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's minister of tourism, told media that he was not worried about the threat that the Zika mosquito virus posed on tourism. // Photo by Joe Pike |
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica -- As part of Travel Agent's coverage of the recently-concluded Jamaica Annual Product Exchange (JAPEX), Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's minister of tourism, told media that he was not worried about the threat that the Zika mosquito virus poses to Caribbean tourism.
"Zika is not a major concern in the Caribbean at this time," says Bartlett. "Incidents in Jamaica have been at a minimum."
In March, the Jamaica Observer reported that Jamaica's Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Tufton, said that three additional cases of Zika virus had been confirmed in Jamaica.
The number of confirmed Zika cases in Jamaica now stands at four, after the first case was confirmed on January 29. That patient, a child from Portmore, St. Catherine, has since recovered, according to the report.
According to the Jamaica Observer report, the minister of health said teams are conducting fever surveillance and fogging activities in communities. He said, however, that it is likely that more cases will be identified.
"Yes, there have been issues, but we are dealing with it," says Bartlett.
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