The Portland police and Children’s Court judge are being commended for their efforts in supporting the National Child Diversion Programme. Child Diversion Officer for Portland, Simmonette Rose Daniels, said that as diversion partners, the court and police force play a key role in directing child offenders to the programme and keeping them out of the formal criminal justice system. “The...

The National Child Diversion Programme is reporting a low non-compliance rate among participants of less than three per cent. This means that children are consenting to and are engaging in the treatment programme designed as part of the diversion process. Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, National Child Diversion Consultant, Ruth Carey, told JIS News that the low non-compliance rate...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, used the occasion of receiving the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to advocate for the National Identification System (NIDS), noting that the registration process to receive the jab would have been much easier for Jamaicans under NIDS. Mr. Holness was speaking to journalists after getting his first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine at The Good...

All places of worship will be allowed to host services with a maximum of 12 persons, between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., until April 13. This forms part of the revised measures under the Disaster Risk Management Act to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which were announced by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, during a COVID-19...

Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says the Government is advancing legislation and building out the infrastructure that will support and facilitate fulsome electric vehicle (EV) introduction in Jamaica. “As a Government, we are cognisant that electric vehicles are the future, and many global automakers have already begun ramping up their production. We must, therefore, move quickly, both...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says Jamaica has managed to keep COVID-19 vaccine waste at .3 per cent, to date, which is way below the country’s two per cent benchmark. He noted that the global standard of waste of the vaccine is three per cent. “We have used some 2,200 vials. There is always going...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is reminding beach operators that all licences must be renewed by March 31. Addressing a JIS Think Tank on Tuesday (March 16), Manager of NEPA’s Applications Secretariat Branch, Miguel Nelson, said that under the Beach Control (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations of 2015, licences are valid for one year and should be renewed annually by...