Vaccines Offer Hope for Faster Return to Normal Life- PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine provides a “ray of hope” for faster recovery and a return to normalcy as soon as possible.    

As such, he is appealing for all eligible Jamaicans, to take the vaccine. 

The Prime Minister was speaking to journalists at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on Friday (July 30), where he welcomed the arrival of 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines donated by the United Kingdom (UK). 

“With this number of vaccines, we could easily double the number of persons who are fully vaccinated… and we could do so rapidly. However, it will take the acceptance of every single Jamaican to come on board and get vaccinated,” he said. 

He assured Jamaicans of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. 

“What we have seen, since persons have taken the vaccine, is that when they get infected, they do not get ill, or if they do get ill, it is not a severe illness. What we are certain of is that they will not die. The vaccines will save your lives and will allow us to return to normal and reopen our economy. So please go out and get vaccinated,” Mr. Holness urged. 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister acknowledged that there is “a great deal of pent-up frustration,” consequent on the measures that have been instituted to control transmission of the virus. 

“I have [heard] the complaints, I hear the constant issues being raised about people not being able to move about and gather freely as we would like, particularly at this time, when we celebrate our Emancipation and Independence,” he noted. 

The Prime Minister said, however, that based on the highly infective nature of the new Delta variant, in particular, “we have to be very careful about how we, as a country, loosen our measures.” 

He indicated that there are presently 700 beds in the public health system to facilitate the admission of severely ill COVID-19 patients, of which just over 200 are occupied. 

He noted that the remaining beds could be easily used up “because… this virus could spread rapidly… and that would throw us into a crisis.” 

“It was not so long ago, in February, that we approached that crisis level. We do not want to get there again,” the Prime Minister said.  

Additionally, he said “we have to consider that our children have been out of school for a year and a half [and] the impact [of COVID-19] on their education [has been] significant and will be long-lasting.” 

“As a responsible Government, we cannot place the education of our children at risk. Therefore, at this time, it will be necessary for the Government to continue to tighten measures and to use non-clinical measures to manage the pandemic,” Mr. Holness added. 

The 300,000 vaccines are the first to be shipped by the UK to any country globally under a commitment given by Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a Group of Seven (G7) nations meeting in June. 

British High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Asif Ahmad, told journalists at the airport that the island is slated to receive another significant shipment of vaccines from the UK by year end. 

Jamaicans 18 years and older can now make appointments to take the vaccine. An island wide vaccination blitz is now underway to administer first and second doses of the vaccine.