As some sections of Westmoreland experience low levels of rainfall, the parish’s health department is advising residents to exercise caution when sourcing and using water for domestic purposes, to prevent potential health risks. Health Education and Promotion Officer for the parish, Gerald Miller, said the department wants citizens to safeguard themselves from illnesses that can occur because of unsafe water....

The diagnostic centre at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland is expected to be completed in the 2024/25 fiscal year. A sum of $180 million has been allocated for the undertaking in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure, which was tabled in the House of Representatives by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon....

Sixty-five local stakeholders in the agriculture sector have benefited from training to better identify and tackle pests affecting hot pepper. The hot pepper quarantine pest identification and field simulation exercise was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Improving the Phytosanitary, Food Safety & Market Access Opportunities along the Hot Pepper Value Chain...

Construction of the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital in Montego Bay, St. James, will continue during the new financial year, from an allocation of more than $800 million. Details of the project are outlined in the 2024/2025 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives on February 15 by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon....

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) has been rebranded the Global Tourism Resilience Centre (GTRC). This was announced by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, during the second day of the Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James, on Saturday (February 17). The Centre, which is headquartered at the University of...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported that for calendar year 2023, there was a 20.8 per cent increase in the number of fires resulting from motor-vehicle crashes when compared to 2022. At the end of last year, the JFB responded to 453 calls for motor-vehicle fires, up from 375 the previous year. Motor-vehicle accidents increased from 1,079 in 2022...

More than 2,000 tests were conducted during the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay, St. James, on February 16. Each of the approximately 700 participants underwent an average of four tests, inclusive of blood sugar level, cholesterol, blood pressure, haemoglobin, body mass index and eye examinations, among other health checks. Portfolio...