The Ministry of Health will be increasing the deployment of health personnel across the island, in preparation for the reopening of the country’s borders to international travellers on June 15. “We are now employing another 1,000 community health aides across the country, and that will bolster the number of persons we have,” said portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton....

The new Bowden Hill Bridge in West Rural St. Andrew will be officially opened on Thursday, June 18. This was stated by Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, during yesterday’s (June 9) sitting of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is expected...

Consultant Anaesthesiologist at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, Dr. Peter Scarlett, says the new Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building has proven to be timely as the country deals with the COVID-19 outbreak. The building, which was erected under the EU-funded PROMAC at a cost of $329 million, was officially opened...

Private and public laboratories, inspection and certification bodies are being encouraged to improve their service delivery and marketability by utilising the accreditation services of the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC). This call comes from Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, who notes that inspectors and testing laboratories “must demonstrate consistent adherence to international standards, thereby...

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) will be embarking on a comprehensive drain-cleaning programme in several communities across the Corporate Area, targeting more than 100 drains. This annual cleaning programme seeks to reduce flooding and forms part of the Municipality’s hurricane-preparedness activities. The exercise will be undertaken in phases, with 51 critical coastal drains in communities in approximately...

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says the entity is working with member countries to bolster their preparedness to effectively deal with potential challenges from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the Americas. This focus is particularly significant during the upcoming seasonal weather conditions and onset of respiratory illnesses. Dr. Etienne said this intervention includes securing 24 million...

William Knibb Memorial and Muschette High Schools in Trelawny have put several measures in place to protect their staff and students from the coronavirus (COVID-19) as the schools reopen for students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). Schools across the island were closed in late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary...