The Westmoreland Health Department has beefed up its public education campaign to sensitise the public about the dangers of leptospirosis. Health Promotion and Education Officer, Gerald Miller, told JIS News that while there is no outbreak of the disease in the parish, the department has to be proactive in light of the recent heavy rains. As such, he is cautioning...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the Government will continue to lobby the United States (US) to take the lead in legitimising licensed cannabis growers and processors in the correspondent banking relationships with US banks. Mr. Shaw was addressing the CanEx Business Conference and Expo, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James,...

Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, is reporting improvement in the results from the recent Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Performance Task Test for grade four. Speaking at yesterday’s (October 9) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, the Minister said the literacy score improved by one per cent, moving to 83 per cent, while...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is calling on Jamaicans to consider their personal safety and responsibility in disasters this International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), on October 13. “The fact that global warming has now changed the course of how disasters operate, it is critical as a country that we observe the day and...

Farmers are being urged to be vigilant in identifying and reporting any suspected case of the Tropical Race 4 Disease (TR4), so that measures can be put in place to safeguard the Jamaican banana and plantain industry against this potential threat. General Manager of the Banana Board, Janet Conie, says farmers have an important role to play in safeguarding the...

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is reporting that there is no shortage of textbooks or furniture in schools. Free text books are available for primary-school children, while there is a book rental system in place for students at the secondary level. Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for the Ministry, Hon. Karl Samuda, provided details at yesterday’s (October 9)...

The Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston is now certified as an aerodrome operator. Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Robert Montague, officially handed over the document, signifying that the facility has met the required international safety and security standards for aerodrome operations, during a ceremony on Tuesday (October 8) at the Ministry’s office in Kingston. He said that the...