The St. Thomas Health Services has received a donation of tents and sundry items from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Caribbean Regional Office, United States Embassy, to assist in the fight against COVID-19. Speaking at the handover ceremony on February 26, at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy, Jamaica, Mr. Varough...

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced new and stricter COVID-19 measures under the Disaster Risk Management Act, effective March 1. The Government has implemented these measures amid an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. According to Prime Minister Holness, the Government has been forced to shift policy efforts in order to preserve lives and livelihoods. “We have to take these drastic actions...

Effective Thursday (March 4), all persons entering the country (both Jamaicans and non-nationals) will be required to present a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test at check-in for their flights. The test must be conducted within 72 hours prior to the date of travel. This was announced by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, at a digital press conference on Sunday...

President of the All Island Craft Traders and Producers Association, Melody Haughton, says craft traders have been pivoting to other areas, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Some persons have been going into farming, such as chicken rearing and vegetable growing; making masks, and trying to get odd jobs,” she told JIS News. “Some persons are selling drinks and grocery, so...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, toured the Kingston and St. Andrew Transmission Main Upgrade Project between Six Miles and Blake Road, on February 26, to observe work being done to improve water supply in the Corporate Area. The scope of the project includes: the laying of approximately 6.1 km of 900 mm nominal diameter DI Transmission Main from...

Deputy General Manager for Subsidiary Management and Revenue Generation at the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Lisa Golding, says that commercial operators are expected to be in place at the Harmony Beach Park, in St. James, by April of this year. “The [commercial] spaces themselves are in fact ready. We went to market with 13 commercial spaces ranging from 220 square...

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), for implementation of the second phase of the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI II) water harvesting and greenhouse cluster project. REDI II is valued at approximately $500 million and is being funded by the World Bank through a loan...