Community surveillance continues in the quarantined communities in Clarendon and St. Thomas. As a result of the efforts of the Health Department, 11 new positives were identified today. These new cases bring Jamaica’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases to 1,082. Today, also saw the recoveries increase by seven, bringing that total to 761 patients recovered and released from care (70.3% recovery rate). ...

Nine Jamaicans will be pursuing studies in Cuba under the Jamaica-Cuba Bilateral Medical Scholarship Programme for the academic year 2020/2021. Sydonie Shaw, Thiana Tyrell, Kedesha Garwood and Theo Bryan are this year’s awardees for the medical programme, while Yanique Uter, Crystal McIntosh and Nika-Lee Page will be studying nursing. The other students, Psylecia Senior and Kareem Scarlett, received scholarships for...

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) will be staging a series of online Employee Engagement Seminars during the month of October. The seminars, under the theme ‘Lead in the Moment: Empower. Pivot. Grow’, will be held every Thursday between October 8 and 29, and will feature a host of international and local speakers. Chief Executive Officer of the JBDC, Valerie...

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, says all schools are receiving attention for a “safe reopening” in September. Speaking at a virtual forum on August 13, to update stakeholders on the Ministry’s plans to make schools safe against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Dr. McLean said international and local data are being used...

Regional Medical Epidemiologist, Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Maung Aung, says Government is intensifying efforts to increase regular targeted screening for prostate cancer in men over 40 years old in western Jamaica. Speaking at a teleconference on August 12, Dr. Aung said special emphasis will be placed on men with non-modifiable cancer risk factors, including genetics, as well as...

Effective 2:00pm today, Friday August 14, 2020, Bank of Jamaica has temporarily closed its main building at Nethersole Place, Downtown Kingston. The decision to close comes merely out of an abundance of caution, as, while no BOJ staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 at this time, the Bank’s premises may have been compromised by someone who may have been...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on Thursday (August 13), officially launched the new headquarters of the White River Fish Sanctuary, located on the Old White River Road in St. Ann. The facility forms part of a $16-million investment from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and other stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the fish sanctuary, which is being managed by...