Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has indicated that efforts are under way to restore telecommunications services to banks, enabling the resumption of automated teller machine (ATM) operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. “There is a programme to give connectivity to the banks in the areas that are cut off from electricity and telecommunications. They are working...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has engaged 413 temporary workers to strengthen its vector-control interventions, in anticipation of increased vector-related activity islandwide in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Speaking during a special press briefing on Hurricane Melissa recovery at Jamaica House in Kingston on Thursday (November 6), Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the temporary staff will...

The police in St. Elizabeth have been receiving additional assistance to maintain law and order, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. Head of the St. Elizabeth Police Division, Superintendent Coleridge Minto, said the Category 5 system left many officers stranded or unable to report for duty, as several communities became inaccessible due to flooding, debris and structural damage. Moreover,...

The tier-two emergency field hospital deployed in Black River, St. Elizabeth, to bolster healthcare delivery in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, is now operational and has treated approximately 50 patients within the past 24 hours. The hospital was established by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, an evangelical Christian humanitarian organisation. “It’s an accident and emergency facility with a number of services…...

The National Works Agency (NWA) has been making steady progress in reopening roadways across western Jamaica that were impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Community Relations Officer for the NWA’s Western Office, Janel Ricketts, reports that despite widespread damage across the region, most affected roadways have now been reopened to at least single-lane access. “We had quite a bit of damage in...

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, says despite the “very difficult time” caused by Hurricane Melissa, community spirit is evident in many areas. She said as Jamaicans, community persons are taking care of each other, and she saw it best while in St. Elizabeth, recently. The Minister, who was reacting to efforts...

In response to the dislocation caused by Hurricane Melissa, the Government has engaged more than 100 private trucks to strengthen water distribution efforts. Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, noted that these trucks are now operating in tandem with the National Water Commission (NWC) fleet of 32 vehicles to deliver water to critical areas. He made...