The Ministry of Health and Wellness is calling on adults to ensure that children receive at least 60 minutes of physical activity each week, for sustained health. Issuing the call, Senior Health Education Officer at the Ministry, Charmaine Plummer, told JIS News there is an increase in overweight and obesity, due to limited physical activities, which she attributed to the...

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) is to commence an audit of children’s homes and places of safety soon, to identify the needs of these institutions. This was disclosed by Minister of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, during the agency’s virtual quarterly press briefing on April 21. “This audit will be the platform...

More than $20 million worth of supplies are bound for St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), as part of Jamaica’s disaster relief aid, as they continue to cope with the erupting La Soufriere volcano. Speaking at the Kingston Wharves Terminal on April 21, where he called on the crew of the HMBS Lawrence Major, Minister of Local Government and Rural...

Jamaica is poised to benefit from some US$2 billion in foreign and local direct tourism investments over the next two years. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said that these projects will yield more than 7,000 new hotel rooms and generate more than 20,000 new full and part-time jobs. He was delivering the opening 2021/22 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says that nurses, police officers, justice system personnel, and other front-line workers will benefit from training in understanding gender-based violence. The training is part of the 2021 work plan for the Spotlight Initiative, which has been approved. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (April 20), the Prime Minister said that the...

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says the entity is forging partnerships with several social media entities as part of efforts to dispel misinformation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), particularly vaccines. Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday (April 21), Dr. Etienne informed that the undertaking involved collaborations with Facebook, Google and Twitter, among others, pointing out...

Viking Cruises has joined the Norwegian Cruise Line in ‘home-porting’ one of their vessels in Jamaica. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, announced on Tuesday (April 20), that Viking Cruises will have a Jamaican itinerary starting August. Viking joins the previously announced Norwegian Cruise Line, which is scheduled to begin service from Montego Bay that same month. “They (Viking Cruises)...