The Universal Service Fund (USF) rolled out a mobile Wi-Fi and charging station in Montpelier, Hanover, on November 7, to provide critical connectivity support for residents impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Charlton McFarlane, told JIS News that the agency’s community Wi-Fi infrastructure sustained significant damage during Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on October 28. In response, the...

Less than two weeks since the passage of Hurricane Melissa and Leroy Blake, a small farmer from Whitby district in Williamsfield, Manchester, was on his farm, cleaning and clearing fallen trees and other debris from the two-acre property. He was also seeing what could be salvaged from his round leaf yam crop, which had taken a beating from the high...

The Jamaica Association of Public Health Inspectors (JAPHI) is urging citizens, particularly those living in western and southern parishes, to exercise extreme caution in the aftermath of Category Five Hurricane Melissa. JAPHI President, Michael Myers, has issued a stern warning against contact with floodwaters, emphasising that residents must not walk, wade, or swim through inundated areas under any circumstances. He...

Following the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, through the National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC) has commenced distribution of free non-potable water to farming communities that have been significantly impacted. Distribution is now underway at the Beacon 1, Beacon 2 and Hounslow filling stations in St. Elizabeth, and the New Forest filling station in...

WPM Waste Management Limited has intensified clean-up operations across St. James, following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, with night shifts now being activated to clear mini dumps and restore cleanliness across Montego Bay. Speaking with JIS News after a meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), held at the St. James Municipal Corporation on November 6, Regional...

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), Charmaine Williams-Beckford, says the facility remains functional and continues to serve patients, despite sustaining severe structural damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), held at the St. James Municipal Corporation, Mrs. Williams-Beckford said the hospital has...

A medical unit is among 20 tonnes of disaster relief and humanitarian supplies provided to the island by India following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The consignment, which arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on Thursday (November 6), via an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft, also comprised medicines, medical equipment, food items, generators, tents, beds, hygiene...