Authorities in Jamaica have asked the public to stop sharing social media posts that allege an American woman was kidnapped there, saying Sunday that she “is not, nor was she at any time, in any danger.”
The woman, Kalina Collier, had tested positive for the coronavirus when she arrived in Jamaica and was placed in isolation, in keeping with the country’s Covid-19 prevention protocols, Jamaican authorities said. Collier is a JetBlue flight attendant.
Derek Dombrowski, a JetBlue spokesman, said the airline is aware of reports that Collier, who was vacationing in Jamaica, had been required to quarantine due to coronavirus health regulations and that she has safely returned to the United States after her quarantine expired.
“We have full confidence in Jamaica’s health protocols and it is important everyone follows the rules,” Dombrowski said in a statement Monday. “We hold each JetBlue crewmember to the highest standards when it comes to personal integrity and we are conducting an urgent investigation into the actions of our crewmember.”
Police visited her Saturday and determined “she is not, nor was she at any time, in any danger,” the Jamaica Constabulary Force said in a statement Sunday.
Authorities are warning people to “desist from sharing social media posts claiming Collier has been kidnapped,” adding that doing so could “constitute an offense under the law.”
“The police assert the information is baseless and mischievous,” the statement said.
Many people had used the hashtag #KalinaCollier on social media and alleged she had been kidnapped or was being held against her will.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force said Sunday that Collier “remains in isolation and awaits medical clearance” to return home.
Representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Jamaica Tourist Board and local police had been in contact with her mother who traveled to Jamaica, authorities said.
Collier was expected to fly out of Jamaica on Sunday following her 14-day quarantine, The Gleaner reported.
Collier did not immediately return a request for an interview Monday.
In a statement posted to her Instagram account, she wrote: “I have said a long time ago that I was never missing, nor was I kidnapped.
“I’ve tried to stay silent because this is something that will be handled legally and because the response to my situation was completely overwhelming,” she wrote. After she tested negative for Covid-19, she wrote, “the hotel proceeded to cover their tracks once word got out and forced me to stay at the resort for the remainder of my ‘quarantine.'”
It is unclear what negative test she is referring to.
She claimed she “was harassed by the hotel to make a statement, to save face for them” and for it to “seem like everything I said was a lie.”
Collier said that she had previously shared her experience on Instagram Live. It is unclear what she said during the Instagram Live.
“I understand that I went live and reached out for help, but my story is now beginning to be told for me and I won’t have that,” she wrote.
Her statement concluded: “The proof is in the pudding and I have nothing further to say on this situation. For those who were actually concerned, thank you.”
According to the government’s Covid-19 dashboard, Jamaica has reported 18,232 cases and 362 deaths.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
