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...

Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Dr. Andrew Spencer, says sensitisation sessions for the COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols that will be implemented for the reopening of the tourism sector have begun. The sessions started yesterday (June 8) with hotels in Negril and St. Ann and will run until June 15, when the sector reopens. “We had...

The maternal and neonatal High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building that was officially opened at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St. Ann on June 5 is expected to significantly improve maternal outcomes across the northern belt of the island. The facility, which was opened by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, was built under the European Union...

Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Robert Montague, is urging public passenger vehicle (PPV) operators to utilise the Transport Authority’s online services to conduct transactions, as part of continued social distancing measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Speaking at the recent handover of masks donated by Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer, Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company Limited, through local partner,...