Gov’t To Lift Seven And Eight Miles Quarantine Saturday

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the quarantine placed on the Seven and Eight Miles communities in Bull Bay, St. Andrew, to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) will be discontinued on Saturday, March 28.

He made the announcement during a digital press conference held at the Ministry’s offices in New Kingston on March 25.

The Government placed the communities under quarantine on March 13, after a number of persons who are linked to the first individual to test positive for the virus in Jamaica started showing symptoms that suggested that they were ill or becoming ill.

Under the quarantine order, access to and from the communities was restricted for 14 days.

The Minister thanked the community members for their patience during the period of quarantine, pointing out that the number of cases in the area justified the need for the measure.

“We want to thank the citizens for their understanding and, of course, the respective agencies… for providing critical support during these times. We still have a few days to go and we ask for your patience in that regard,” he said.

The agencies include the health authorities, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-Mckenzie, said in the final days of the quarantine, members of the Public Health Department will be conducting final checks to ensure that persons identified as close or casual contacts have not developed any symptoms.

“So while it is that we do end the quarantine period on Saturday, if there are persons who would have developed symptoms, then there would be different arrangements that would be made,” she said.

Meanwhile, as it relates to Corn Piece, Clarendon, which is the other community under quarantine, Dr. Tufton said that the health authorities and respective agencies remain on the ground, providing critical support.

“We have, so far, linked one case to the index case in that community. That person, who is now deceased, had links to our 26th confirmed case and again, that demonstrates that what we are doing, we think is correct,” he noted.

Dr. Tufton said the Ministry continues to carry out the necessary surveillance and extended appreciation to the residents of the community and asked for their patience “as we seek to manage this process.”

There are 26 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jamaica to date.