Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says training arrangements are being finalised to facilitate local testing for coronavirus COVID-19 variants. Jamaica acquired a genome sequencing machine to test for COVID-19 variants in late October. It is located at the National Influenza Centre (NIC) at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). Speaking in the House...

The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) is celebrating its 20th anniversary in December, and will stage a series of activities to mark the occasion, under the theme ‘CCCJ at 20, Expanding the Possibilities’. Speaking today (December 1) at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, Executive Director of the CCCJ, Donna Powell Wilson, said that throughout its 20-year existence, the entity...

Akishma Payne of the Hampton School in St. Elizabeth took first place in the National Child Month Committee (NCMC) Youth Forum debate competition finals held on Friday (November 26). She defeated three other students from secondary schools across the island, who argued the moot ‘Be it resolved that the circumstances surrounding the pandemic are preparing the youth to embrace the...

Pieces of legislation under the portfolio of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology are to be amended to provide for increases in monetary penalties and custodial sentences. This follows Cabinet’s approval of the increases that were recommended by the Science, Energy and Technology Ministry. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure at a virtual...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging Jamaicans to remain vigilant against the coronavirus (COVID-19) in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant. “I take this opportunity to caution Jamaicans to remain vigilant, as we see the variant spread to various countries. This variant has now been identified in 19 countries in four World...

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the Ministry remains cognisant of the critical importance of safe transportation in the thrust to resume face-to-face teaching and learning at schools. Speaking in the House of Representatives on November 30, she noted that many students rely on public transportation in commuting to and from school, and as such, it...

The Justice Ministry is expanding the cadre of restorative justice facilitators serving communities with additional personnel to come on stream in January 2022. This means that more Jamaicans will be able to benefit from restorative justice services as a dispute resolution option. The facilitators will lead restorative justice circles, which are sessions that provide an opportunity for community members to...