The United States Embassy in Kingston will be closed on Thursday in observance of Thanksgiving Day, which is a public holiday in the United States.

The Consular Section, Inform-ation Resource Center, USAID and U.S. Peace Corps offices will also be closed on that day.

The embassy and its affiliated offices will reopen for business as usual on Friday.

Quicker holiday clearance at Customs

Clearance at customs at both international airports should be smoother this Christmas, according to Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, Deloree Staple-Chambers.

Mrs. Staple-Chambers said the usual seasonal bottleneck should be reduced, thanks to pre-screening and a new efficiency project.

The Passenger Processing Improvement Project, which began last month, aims to speed up processing of passengers, provide greater privacy during luggage searches and improve the experience for passengers in the customs area.

"Our goal is to provide quality service that promotes Jamaica as an economy that respects its citizens and values its visitors," she said.

"Passenger arrival is increasing annually and so we have to implement procedures that will facilitate speedier processing."