As at Thursday (August 27), Jamaica recorded 66 new confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed positives to 1,870. Thirty-five of the 66 newly confirmed cases are females and 31 are males, with ages ranging from seven years to 88 years. Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, gave this update during the weekly...

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) has recruited 7,400 sanitisation officers dedicated to keeping the 2,200 polling station locations sanitised. This was disclosed by Director of Elections, Glasspole Brown, today (August 27), on the JIS ‘Studio 58A’ Programme. “We are going to insist that all who come to the polling station have on a mask, temperature will be taken, their...

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) is reporting that the trade between licensees was valued at US$1.34 million (over J$200 million) from May 2019 to July 2020. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, today (August 27), Director of Research, Development and Communications at the CLA, Felicia Bailey, explained that the value of trade quoted only covers that among...

Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor, Richard Byles, says the near-term rate of inflation is expected to range from four to six per cent, which is within the BOJ’s target. Speaking at the Central Bank’s digital quarterly press briefing on August 26, Mr. Byles said a five to six per cent out-turn is projected for the July to September 2020 quarter,...

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) has issued 67 ganja licences to local companies and individuals since its establishment in 2015. The disclosure was made at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ today (August 27) by Director of Research, Development and Communications at the CLA, Felicia Bailey. Ms. Bailey also noted that there are 21 applicants at the ‘licence granted’...

The Judiciary is advising the public that, effective today (August 27), sittings of night courts will end at 7pm in parishes outside of Kingston and St. Andrew, Clarendon, St.Thomas and St. Catherine until September 2. Acting Director of Client Services, Communication and Information, Court Administration Division (CAD), Kadiesh Fletcher, told JIS News that persons with matters slated for the Night...

Director of the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Errol Greene, says work is expected to resume on the $5.7-billion Western Children and Adolescents Hospital in St. James, in short order. Work was halted on the 220-bed facility, which is being built on the grounds of the Cornwall Regional Hospital, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In an interview...