Cabinet has approved the Public Officials Protection System (POPS) Policy, which aims to provide an objective assessment-based framework for providing close-protection support to public officials. Delivering a statement in the House of Representatives on October 6, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, said the policy will allow for the repositioning of some experienced police...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, says the MyHR+ online integrated human resource and payroll system being implemented across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) has begun to yield dividends for users. Noting that the platform has already been rolled out in 40 MDAs, Dr. Clarke said “those who have it can tell you the...

The Draft National Five-Year Agribusiness Strategy is scheduled to be approved by Cabinet later this month and tabled in Parliament shortly thereafter, so that implementation can start in earnest as soon as possible. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, made the disclosure on Tuesday (October 5) while giving an update on the plan, which is aimed at establishing...

Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, says persons of all ages with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are among those more likely to get a severe bout of COVID-19. She was addressing the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, in Savanna-la-Mar, recently. “Remember, persons living with non-communicable diseases have a worse outcome with COVID-19 and feature very prominent...

Cabinet has given approval for the development of a National Border Security Policy and Strategy. It aims to strengthen Jamaica’s border and maritime domain capacities through the creation of a strategic multisectoral framework to address security risks within Jamaica. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure during the virtual post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday (October...

The Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) is looking to acquire technology devices to support online teaching and learning at schools for the deaf. These include laptops, tablets and desktop computers, Director of the Business Development Division at JAD, Deniese Badroe, told JIS News. She noted that with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacting face-to-face classes, institutions have had to rely...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and Member of Parliament for St. Andrew West Rural, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, has announced the establishment of a permanent coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination site in the Stony Hill Division of her constituency. The site is located at the Stony Hill HEART Academy and is open Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 a.m....