The Government is documenting information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) in order to better understand the virus, improve the management and treatment of the infection, while boosting the resilience of the country’s public health system. Speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said work is under way to ensure that...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is warning criminals who are seeking to use the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis to continue their criminal activities that the Government will not relent in its crime-fighting efforts. He said that maintaining law and order is paramount even as the public health measures are enforced to combat COVID-19. “There are organised criminal gangs who...

Jamaica is expected to be among the regional countries to receive coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits from the latest batch being provided by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Director of PAHO, Dr. Carissa Etienne, said 4.5 million additional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test kits are being dispatched to member states across North, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. “This...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, on Tuesday (April 21) commissioned into service a new high-tech Cobas machine at the National Public Health Laboratory in Kingston, boosting the country’s capacity to test for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Dr. Tufton said that the machine will allow for the testing of about 384 samples during each eight-hour shift at...

Over the past three weeks some $50 million has been allocated to redistributing excess crops and fresh produce held by farmers in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Jamaica and the consequent fall out of demand from the tourism and other markets. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture Fisheries through its agency, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority working with...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Honourable Audley Shaw, is assuring residents of Portmore, St.Catherine that there will be more than enough farm fresh fruits and vegetables on offer at affordable prices come this Saturday, April 25, when the community will again have a shopping day under COVID-19 restrictions. The Minister made the declaration on Tuesday (April 21)...

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague, has dismissed rumours that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is up for sale to Chinese Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). “I wish to clarify that the JUTC is not for sale, lease or any form of divestment. While Jamaica maintains a good relationship with China, no such deal has been brought before...