Jamaica has confirmed six new cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the island. The cases, which bring to eight the number of confirmed cases, include: • Two males, aged 63 and 67, who came into the island on March 7 from Trinidad, having travelled from Malaysia by way of Dubai and London. They presented at hospital on March...

Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) for South East Clarendon, Pearnel Charles Jr.  was sworn in today (March 12), during the sitting of the House of Representatives. After taking the Oath of Office, the MP was welcomed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, his father and House Speaker, Pearnel Charles Sr., as well as other Members of Parliament on both sides...

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has provided an update to national sport federations on the implications of the urgent and necessary measures being taken by the Government of Jamaica to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In keeping with the national Containment and Control Strategy, the Government has taken a number of steps including:...

The Government has allocated more than $320 million for a Gully Intervention Programme aimed at cleaning all major gullies in the Corporate Area. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, made the disclosure at the opening of the 2020/2021 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 10). He said that while the...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, is reporting that all of the 589 registered Jamaican nationals scattered across China are healthy and have not contracted the coronavirus (COVID-19). She noted that included are persons in Wuhan, where the virus started. The Minister said that, currently, there are 260 students studying in China on...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says wards at 19 hospitals will be retrofitted to house patients with the coronavirus (COVID-19). He said that the management of the facilities “were asked to identify a ward that will be vacated and retrofitted to become a COVID-19 ward and that would include levels of isolation”. Dr. Tufton was responding...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has provided additional telephone numbers that persons can call to acquire information and make reports regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These are: 888-754-7792; 876-542-5998; 876-542-6007; and 876-542- 6006, and are in addition to the 888-ONE-LOVE (663-5683) toll-free number. This was announced by Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, in a statement to the House of Representatives on...