The first batch of the 1,044 Jamaican ship workers who returned to the island on Tuesday afternoon has departed for government quarantine centres in St Ann after being processed at the Falmouth cruise ship pier in Trelawny.

The Jamaican workers were repatriated aboard Royal Caribbean's Adventures of the Seas cruise ship, which remains docked at the port.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, Mathew Samuda, says the Jamaicans were allowed to disembark in trances of 40 and 20 and were subjected to health and safety screening including being tested for COVID-19.

Holness said ship workers who test positive will go into state quarantine while those who test negative will be allowed to quarantine at home for 14 days.

Persons in home quarantine will have their location tracked and must do a video check-in multiple times a day, Holness said.