Westmoreland Health Dept. Reminds Persons To Self-Quarantine

The Westmoreland Health Department is reminding persons in the parish who arrived in Jamaica between March 18 and 25 to remain in self-quarantine until 14 days have passed, as part of COVID-19 safeguarding measures, outlined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

“We want them to stay alone in a well-ventilated room [and] have little or no contact with other members of the household and have no visit from friends and family,” Health Promotion and Education Officer, Gerald Miller, told JIS News.

He said the two-week incubation period is critical if Westmoreland, and Jamaica as a whole, is to contain the spread of the virus that currently accounts for 36 confirmed cases in the country.

“So, we are reminding our visitors and the people of Westmoreland to be vigilant. We want them to remain at home and follow the guidelines. Staying home saves lives, and fighting coronavirus (COVID-19) is our personal responsibility. Let’s do it together,” Mr. Miller implored.

“Our public inspectors and public nurses, they too play their part in checking in on these persons to make sure they are self-quarantined,” he added.

He said persons who are showing symptoms of the virus are to remain at home and contact the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 hotline numbers. These numbers are 888-754-7792, 888-ONE-LOVE (663-5683), 876-542-5998, 876-542-6007 and 876-542-6006.

In the meantime, Mr. Miller noted that the Department has been conducting sensitisation sessions in small groups (no more than 10 people) at a number of business establishments.

“We have sensitised our staff within the Westmoreland health services. We’ve enhanced vector-control workers, because they too are helping us to get the flyers and materials out in the communities,” he said.

“The more you can have the information repeated, then it is more likely that persons will process the information so they can get that desired behaviour. So, we are using this approach to get the information out,” he added.