The continuous flouting of coronavirus (COVID-19) safety protocols has forced the Government to order the closure of 17 beaches and 19 rivers across the island come Friday, August 14). Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, who made the announcement in the House on August 11, informed that these facilities will be closed for two weeks, and...

Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, says the World Health Organization (WHO) is sourcing information from regulatory authorities in Russia regarding that country’s development of a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, which was announced on Tuesday (August 11). He said that it is only after analysing all of the data, guaranteeing its safety, that the vaccine...

The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) is advising its stakeholders that all its offices are now open to the public, following the closure of its Newport East and King Street offices in Kingston, on Monday, August 10, 2020, due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 with one of its employees. A comprehensive sanitisation exercise of the facilities has since been done....

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has implemented protocols consistent with COVID-19 guidelines and has moved to temporarily suspend operations at one of its buildings on the property due to a suspected coronavirus case. Out of an abundance of caution, the Permanent Secretary in the OPM, Mrs. Audrey Sewell has advised that the building in question will be closed...

Eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified as at Monday (August 10). These bring the island’s tally of cases to 1,031. Jamaica now has 213 (20.7%) active cases, including six moderately ill patients. Recoveries remained at 745 (72.3% recovery rate) and 59 cases (5.7%) have returned to their countries of origin. There are no critically ill patients at this...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) wishes to advise persons that the Morant Bay Tax Office will be closed from Monday, August 10, 2020 and during the period of the fourteen (14) day COVID-19 quarantine imposed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in the Church Corner area in the parish of St. Thomas. The closure comes as we have been advised...

The Ministry of Health & Wellness regrets to advise that another COVID-19 positive patient has died. The deceased is a 37 year old male from St. Catherine. This local transmission not epidemiologically linked case brings to 14, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths for the island. At the same time, as at Sunday (August 9), Jamaica recorded 20 new confirmed...