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...

Jamaica will be closing its Consulate General in New York, and the consular departments in Washington DC and London for one week starting on Monday (March 16), due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, in making the announcement at a press briefing at the Office of the Prime...

Minister with oversight for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, says that classes at the University of the West Indies (UWI) will be suspended until after Easter in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Two imported cases of the virus have been confirmed in the island. Mr. Samuda made the announcement in the House of Representatives on March 12. The...