OTTAWA — The Canadian government has revised its travel advice for Jamaica in the wake of the State of Public Emergency declared yesterday by Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness for St. James Parish, which includes Montego Bay.

The updated information for Canadian travellers is at travel.gc.ca/destinations/jamaica, under the ‘Safety & Security’ link. “On January 18, 2018, a state of emergency was declared by the Jamaican government for St James Parish, which includes Montego Bay, as a result of a significant increase in violent crime.”

The alert advises Canadian travellers heading to a resort in the affected area to stay on-property. Visitors looking to travel off-property are advised to use transportation arranged or provided by the resort. The alert also advises travellers to use organized tour operators for excursions and travel to and from the airport.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, speaking at a press conference on Jan. 18, said he issued the State of Public Emergency in response to escalating crime and violence in the area.