Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan, has informed that, to date, some 580 persons have been trained to be part of the country’s vaccination programme. He made the disclosure while responding to questions regarding the turnout of nurses for training sessions, during a virtual press conference on March 8. “We have had several training sessions...

Chief Public Health Inspector for Westmoreland, Steve Morris, says take-up of the COVID-19 vaccine has shown efficacy in reducing hospitalisations and the rate of infections. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. Morris said countries that have been vaccinating citizens have seen declines in the number of people being hospitalised due to the virus. “So there are benefits as...

In a bid to increase public awareness of the uses and effects of marijuana (ganja), the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) has launched its ‘Good Ganja Sense’ campaign. The virtual launch of the campaign on Tuesday (March 9) seeks to address the issue of low levels of ganja literacy, with the intended outcome to have Jamaicans make better choices...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is on track to introduce legislation for the ticketing of persons not wearing masks in public, as part of coronavirus (COVID-19) containment measures stipulated in the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA). Speaking at a digital media briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Media Centre, on Monday (March...

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn and Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), Sharonmae Shirley, are encouraging citizens to utilise accredited medical labs. “It is important, and I can't overemphasise that persons need to access accredited facilities. Accreditation underscores data quality, data handling and client care,...

The Government is moving to acquire critical pieces of equipment that will allow the country to conduct tests for the presence of coronavirus (COVID-19) variant strains in the island. Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the disclosure at a virtual press conference on March 8. He confirmed the presence of the United Kingdom (UK) variant...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is prepared to take more stringent measures, including a national lockdown, if the number of positive cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rise. “These measures will have an impact on the economy. It will have even greater impact on your ability to move; it will have even greater impact...