‘Better I stay here than in America’ - Awaiting direct flight home, Canadian hunkers down in Negril

WESTERN BUREAU:

Michael Paquin of Montreal, Canada, is among several tourists from the United States who have been left stranded in Jamaica after their flights were cancelled following the closure of its borders to incoming passengers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paquin, who spent his vacation at a homesharing accommodation in the resort town of Negril, Westmoreland, said that Air Transat, a Canada-based airline, cancelled his flight on two occasions and that he is not sure that they will fulfil their promise on his third attempt to get home when that time around comes in June.

“I have had a flight for April 25, but it cancelled. I had another for May 2, but it also got cancelled. Now I have a flight for the 6th of June; I hope I can go home,” he said.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered the temporary closure of the country’s ports effective March 24 to incoming passenger traffic as part of efforts to limit the spread of the new coronavirus in the island. The order has since been extended and will remain in force until May 31, except in special cases for the phased re-entry of Jamaicans overseas.

Paquin, who, along with friends, said that he is not prepared to transit through the US, given the high rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths recorded in that country.

More than 980,000 people have contracted the new coronavirus in the US, which has recorded 55,000-plus deaths. Canada, however, has tallied 46,000 infections and just over 2,500 deaths.

Air Transat, on March 18, cancelled flights involving its 29-strong fleet, with plans to resume service on June 1.

Paquin said that he had the option of flying via JetBlue out of Sangster International Airport last Saturday but was wary of passengers being picked up in New York or Florida. New York has been cited as the epicentre of the disease in the US.

“I will wait for my flight and hope they will come this time,” Paquin told The Gleaner. “I have just one brother, a nephew, and niece, and everybody tells me it’s better I stay here than in America.”

US citizen William McFarlin, however, made sure not to miss Saturday’s flight after being stranded here for several weeks after multiple cancellations. He said he was originally scheduled to travel home on March 30.

“This season, with the coronavirus outbreak, we ran into quarantines and cancelled flights. American Airlines has cancelled me three times. I keep rebooking without success,” said McFarlin, who shared that he was able to return home with the help of the US Embassy in Kingston.