US Travel Warnings For Jamaica

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Us Travel Warnings For Jamaica | Beach In Negril

by Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

A travel warning, travel alert, or travel advisory is a government-issued warning statement that provides information about the relative safety of travelling to or visiting one or more specific foreign countries or destinations.

The goal is to help travellers make an informed decision about a specific travel destination and to help travellers adequately prepare for what they may encounter on their trip.

Travel warnings are issued by the Department of State in the United States and are commonly referred to as warden messages.

There are four categories or levels:

• Level 1 - Use Standard Precautions: This is the lowest safety and security risk advisory level. Any international trip involves some risk. Other countries' conditions may differ from those in the United States and change anytime.
  
  
• Level 2 - Exercise Extra Caution: Be aware of increased risks to your safety and security. In the Travel Advisory, the Department of State offers additional advice for travellers in these areas. Any country's conditions can change at any time.
  
  
• Level 3 - Rethink Travel: Avoid travel due to safety and security risks. In the Travel Advisory, the Department of State offers additional advice for travellers in these areas. Any country's conditions can change at any time.
  
  
• Level 4 - Do Not Travel: This is the highest advisory level due to the increased likelihood of life-threatening risks. During an emergency, the United States government may be unable to assist. The State Department advises US citizens not to travel to the country or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so. In the Travel Advisory, the Department of State offers additional advice for travellers in these areas. Any country's conditions can change at any time.

Jamaica has been placed at a level 3 with some specific areas as level 4. Home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides are all common crimes. Local law enforcement does not have the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

Emergency services vary across the island, and response times may differ from those in the United States. The homicide rate reported by the Jamaican government has been among the highest in the Western Hemisphere for several years. Travelling to the areas listed below, taking public buses, and driving outside of the prescribed areas of Kingston at night are all prohibited for US government personnel.

While it is true that these areas may be prone to violent activities, these activities are usually among gangs, families and others involved in conflicts and criminal activities. These are not in most cases random acts against strangers. These areas are also not tourist areas, most having no tourist attractions, so it would be odd to find a tourist visiting these areas.

It is advised to avoid the parish of Clarendon because of the high levels of shooting unless you are just passing through. Clarendon was listed as a Level 4.

For the parish of Hanover, it was advised to avoid the areas of Orange Bay and Logwood.

For the Parish of Kingston and St. Andrew the following areas were advised to be avoided:

• Cassava Piece
• Downtown Kingston - between Mountain View Avenue and Hagley Park Road, and south of Half Way Tree and Old Hope Roads. Downtown Kingston includes Arnett Gardens, Cockburn Gardens, Denham Town, Olympic Gardens, Seaview Gardens, Trench Town, and Tivoli Gardens.
• Duhaney Park
• Grants Pen
• Standpipe
• Swallowfield
• Elleston Flats
• August Town

St. James also has areas to be avoided, they are:

• Canterbury
• Flankers
• Glendevon
• Mount Salem
• Norwood
• Paradise Heights
• Rose Heights
• Cambridge
• Springmount
• Johns Hall

In St. Ann, the only area advised against was Steer Town.

St. Catherine has always had a high level of criminal activities, but only in specific areas. So if you intend on travelling to St. Catherine, avoid these areas as much as possible:

• Spanish Town
• Central Village
• Certain areas within Portmore include Naggo Head, New Land, Old Braeton, and Waterford.

The last parish on the list is Westmoreland, areas to be avoided in this parish are Russia and Whitehall.

These are just a few small communities in Jamaica that most tourists would not visit. So if you are planning your vacation in Jamaica, do not be discouraged, tourist areas such as Ocho Rios, Portland, Montego Bay and Negril, are still some of the safest places on the island.

And if you do decide to venture outside of these areas just be as cautious be sure of exactly where you are going. 

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If you found this page useful, please consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter, to get even more. 

It tells you each week about the new information that I have added, including new developments and great stories from lovers of Jamaica! 

Return to Solo Travel to Jamaica from Us Travel Warnings For Jamaica
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References & Sources For US Travel Warnings For Jamaica

1. Travel.state.gov. 2022. Jamaica Travel Advisory. [online] Available at: [Accessed 2 September 2022].

Us Travel Warnings For Jamaica | Written: September 02, 2022

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