The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is expressing deep sadness at the passing today of Dr. Jephthah Ford. Minister Grange said: "Dr Ford was like a brother to me and this has been so for many years. I am truly shocked and saddened by his passing. I relied on him for medical advice not...

With Americans being vaccinated against COVID-19 at a very fast rate, Jamaica could see the return of cruise shipping in the short term, local officials and stakeholders argue. A good sign, they say, is the announcement by the Royal Caribbean Group, the second largest cruise company in the world behind Carnival Cruise Line, that they will resume cruising in June...

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says work to develop a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in Cuba has advanced to the phase three clinical trial stage. Speaking during a recent COVID-19 digital briefing, PAHO's Assistant Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, said Cuban vaccine manufacturers commenced phase three trial activities two weeks ago. This included pilot vaccinations involving volunteers, and usually precedes World...

Young people are being encouraged to preserve the Jamaican culture and heritage, especially in these times of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This appeal came from Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, during an address to declare open a virtual National Culture Clubs’ Conference, on Friday (March 26). Representatives from over 130 culture clubs islandwide attended the...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the side effects from the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine he received, were mild. The Prime Minister was vaccinated on Monday (March 22), at The Good Samaritan’s Inn, in Kingston. “For me, I got a low-grade fever and maybe a day of feeling fatigued... but I was still able to function. By Wednesday (March...

“I didn’t even feel it,” were the words 101-year-old Fannie Knight, after receiving her first dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) AstraZeneca vaccine, at the National Arena, on Saturday (March 27). Ms. Knight was the oldest person to receive the vaccine, at the Government’s first coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination blitz. “I didn’t know she gave me any. I was looking for her...

Another 50,000 Jamaicans are to benefit from cash grants under the Government’s COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) Programme, which will continue with a further allotment of $3 billion in the 2021/22 budget. This was noted by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, as he piloted the Appropriations...