Local Gov’t Minister to Lead Clean-Up Campaign in St. James

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, will spearhead a massive clean-up campaign in St. James from April 23 to 24.

The communities of Brandon Hill, Canterbury, Mount Salem, Rose Heights and their environs will be the focus of the activity.

The two-day clean-up campaign is part of ongoing efforts by Government to remove mosquito breeding sites in communities across the island, in light of the threat of the Zika Virus.

Zika is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is generally found in and around communities, homes, schools, and business places.

Residents of the parish are invited to attend a town hall meeting at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, Sam Sharpe Square on April 21, to hear details about the clean-up exercise.

Minister McKenzie will be in attendance along with representatives of key partner agencies.

These include: the Ministry of Health, National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Social Development Commission (SDC), National Works Agency (NWA), Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

The Government is strengthening the national coordination and response to the Zika Virus.

An inter-ministerial approach is being undertaken aimed at streamlining the response efforts in a more strategic, comprehensive and systematic way.

Facilitating closer collaboration across key response agencies and more strategic rationalisation and use of the resources available, will significantly enhance the Government’s efforts at controlling the vector that transmits Zika.

Jamaica has confirmed six cases of the Zika virus to date in communities in St. Catherine and St. Thomas.