Public Health Nurse, Marcia Thomas-Yetman, is the first person in Jamaica to receive the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. She was vaccinated at The Good Samaritan’s Inn in Kingston on Wednesday morning (March 10), exactly one year after the first case of the virus was confirmed in the island. Nurse Thomas-Yetman, who is employed to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA),...

As the Government continues to strengthen the nation’s coronavirus (COVID-19) testing capabilities, Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), Sharonmae Shirley, is assuring that only test kits approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Wellness are being used in accredited medical testing facilities. “Currently in Jamaica, the MOHW has only...

In light of the country’s increasing coronavirus (COVID-19) positivity rate, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging Jamaicans to comply with the measures implemented to reduce its spread. These measures include physical distancing, staying at home, avoiding crowded situations, frequently washing and sanitising hands and surfaces, adhering to curfew hours, wearing masks, and obeying the...

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...