KINGSTON, Jamaica. Friday, August 21, 2020: Regrettably in the last 24 hours, Jamaica saw another COVID-19-related death. The deceased is an imported case of a 69-year-old female from Manchester. The total death from COVID-19 is now at 16. At the same time, the country recorded 56 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. These bring the total cases on record for the island...

Given the spike in COVID-19 cases, it has now become necessary to delay the reopening of schools. We have consulted with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and barring any unforeseen challenges, schools will reopen on a phased basis beginning Monday, October 5, 2020. The re-engagement is based on a blended approach, which includes Face-to-Face teaching and learning, online and...

Churches located in the parishes where stricter curfew measures have been imposed will be prohibited from holding funeral services, conventions and other civic activities. This was disclosed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who noted that these churches will be able to hold their regular worship services. "Burials, however, will continue, but with strict observation and enforcement of...

Five schools in rural Jamaica have benefited from a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) ‘Training of Trainers’ Workshop, organised by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF). Participants included 20 principals, guidance counsellors, teachers and ancillary staff from the Boston Primary School in Portland; Grange Hill Primary School, Westmoreland; Jacks River Primary School, St. Mary; Mount Moriah Primary School, St. Ann,...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced tighter curfew hours for the parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine, and Clarendon effective Saturday (August 22). The new curfew period will run from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily until September 2. The Prime Minister, who was addressing a virtual press conference on Friday (August 21), said that the...

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, says the country has not recorded any reinfection of persons previously confirmed with the coronavirus (COVID-19) to date. She was responding to a question at the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ weekly COVID Conversations digital press conference on Thursday (August 20). “It is still a fairly new virus. Even seven to eight months...

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Jaquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, says the ongoing spike in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in St. Thomas has now pushed the parish figure to 107 cases over the last three weeks, with about 25 communities recording cases. Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie, while explaining the current situation in the parish where sections of the parish have been under quarantine since August 6,...