The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) will be hosting a virtual forum on June 9, to commemorate World Accreditation Day 2020, under the theme ‘Accreditation: Improving Food Safety’. The event will be streamed live on the JANAAC Facebook page and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) website, Facebook and YouTube pages, starting at 9:00 a.m. “Accreditation has an important role...

As children continue distance learning online, the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is providing tips to parents on how they can create a structured environment for children in homeschooling. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NPSC, Kaysia Kerr, told JIS News that while the arrangement presents a challenge for some parents who are working from home, this situation can be...

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the passing of the media mogul, the Honourable Oliver Clarke. Minister’s Statement: “I knew Oliver well and I’m very sad by his passing. He was an outstanding businessman, an outstanding Jamaican who contributed in many ways to our nation’s development. My relationship with Oliver...

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is encouraging members of the public to cooperate with interviewers who will make contact via the telephone, to gather data for the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey regarding COVID-19. The data collection begins today (Monday, April 27) and will last for approximately two weeks. Deputy Director General of STATIN, Leesha Delatie-Budair, told JIS...

Further to bulletin 64/2020 regarding Easter Holiday School Closure, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MoEYI) wishes to advise our stakeholders that under the Disaster Risk Management Act (Enforcement Measures) (No. 3) Orders, 2020, "every educational institution, as defined in the Education Act, shall remain closed until the end of the day of April 21, 2020". Consequently, schools will...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reporting an increase in the number of bush fires between January and March 2020, in comparison to the corresponding period in 2019. From 2016 to 2019, the number of bush fires across the country increased exponentially from 3,716 to 5,838. In addition, for the first three months of 2020, the JFB recorded a total...

Following extensive debate on the measures in Parliament  late last night and further consultations and review which are still ongoing to finalize the Gazette of the Orders, the Government of Jamaica is indicating: 1. The final Gazette to be published tonight. Media personnel will remain exempted and will be allowed to move about in pursuit of their mandate during the...