Jamaica has received more than US$15 million (J$2 billion) in cash or kind, through various partnerships, in support of its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the disclosure during a statement in the House of Representatives on March 10. Dr. Tufton said, through partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan...

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw, is appealing to drivers to look out for children on the roads, particularly as schools resume full face-to-face classes. “I want to say to every person in this country who drives a vehicle – for God's sake, our children and pedestrians can't control the vehicle. I'm urging all drivers on the road...

Ground was broken on Thursday (March 10) for the establishment of a Teen Hub in St. Thomas, through which adolescents in the parish can access a range of clinical, educational, and social services in a safe environment. The US$200,000 facility, which will be situated on Church Street in Morant Bay, will offer mental health screening/counselling and referrals, reproductive health services,...

St. Elizabeth Health Department is intensifying activities to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the dengue virus. The parish is seeing a slight uptick in the Aedes index, which was recorded at nine per cent in February, compared to 7.1 per cent for the same month in 2021. “We recognise that our weather pattern has changed since the beginning...

The St. Elizabeth Health Services has reported that approximately 25 per cent of the parish’s population has been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19). Medical Officer of Health, St. Elizabeth Health Services, Dr. Tonia Dawkins-Beharie, made the disclosure while addressing Thursday’s (March 10) monthly meeting of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, in Black River. “Our COVID-19 vaccination programme continues, and...

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, is encouraging students to continue being compliant with the safety measures at their schools. This follows the full return of students to face-to-face classes on Monday (March 7). “We're pleading [and] encouraging students to continue to wear their masks in the classroom. There should be no exception in terms of the mask-wearing,...

Jamaicans will soon be held financially responsible for correcting activities that pollute the environment under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle. Acting Chief Technical Director of the Policy, Planning and Evaluation Division of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Gillian Guthrie, told JIS News that the principle will be incorporated in all environmental policies and legislation. It emerged from the...