As Jamaicans get creative in dealing with the new, stricter COVID-19 measures announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Sunday (March 21), it would appear that out-of-town villa staycations have arisen for some as the answer to Jamaica’s impending weekend lockdowns.

Even before Sunday evening’s press conference had come to a close, Twitter users were already taking to their feeds to make their voices heard in response to the new COVID-19 restrictions, chief of which was the introduction of noon curfews and no-movement days on Saturdays and Sundays for the next three weeks.

For many on social media, the answer to their newfound predicament was simple – “book a villa”.

In fact one user, @RamajEKip, tweeted: “I’m literally trying to find a Likkle villa rn… I won’t survive this”.

Another, @TheRoyalBlu tweeted: “Bredda live up some life same way! (Face with tears of joy Face with tears of joy) villa nuh lock dung.”

But it was @Daryldiquenga who put to words what many Jamaicans may have been thinking alike: “Now seems like the best time to be owners of villas/Airbnbs.”

The sentiment, while appearing at first glance to be well founded, aren’t necessarily 100 per cent accurate.

Speaking with Our Today, multiple villa owner Jheanell Adjudah said that, in light of the new restrictions put in place by the Government, and in particular the weekend lockdowns, business isn’t looking to be all sunshine and roses.

Adjudah said that, “especially for upcoming business over the next three weekends, I have found that persons who may have booked, have held back. For the ones who have already booked, they are requesting, naturally, earlier check-in times because of the curfew”.

Adjudah also suggested that she did not think the lockdown would prove beneficial for business in any way, “especially because of the restrictions on the ability to move about, on the weekends and, in particular, Sunday”.

She said: “It is definitely not going to be an added benefit. If anything, its going to cramp the already stifled business that we are getting from locals.”

She furthered: “Persons would typically book an Airbnb in another parish to 1) stay in a different parish and get a different experience, 2) be in their own space and 3) visit whatever attractions that might be open in the area. So, it is a compounding issue that beaches are closed. People would normally book and stay in for the weekend and go home on a Sunday but now you’re saying they can’t move about on a Sunday, they can’t really do anything on a Saturday, so now they’re just gonna stay home.”

While Adjudah has been able to maintain at least some of her bookings, other Airbnb operators have not been as lucky.

According to Tracy Duncans, operator of an Airbnb located in the resort town of Ocho Rios, St Ann, in light of the new restrictions proposed during yesterday’s press conference, she has experienced nothing but booking cancellations.

In Duncans’ words, “me whole Easter mash up”.

She said that, since the press conference, she has received no further
bookings for the next three weekends and all her previous bookings have been cancelled.