Fifth Coronavirus Death Recorded in Jamaica

  • Staff Consortium
  • April 15, 2020
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The deceased is a 63-year-old woman from the eastern parish of Portland.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, shortly after the Health Ministry reported  additional  COVID-19 cases pushing the tally to 105 since March 10 when the first case was confirmed.

Of the 32 additional cases, 31 are from the central parish of St Catherine and one from the Corporate Area.

The Health Ministry says all are linked to a call centre in St. Catherine.

Meanwhile, a week long lockdown has been implemented in the central parish.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in announcing the lockdown, said the police and health authorities have been instructed to launch an investigation into the circumstances under which the outbreak at the call centre occurred and to pursue charges where appropriate. 

The lockdown started at 5:00 am (local time) on Wednesday this morning and will end next week Wednesday .

During the lockdown all residents are required  to stay home during the period. 

Residents are now restricted to set days and hours to go about purchasing their essentials. Individuals 65 years and older, pregnant women, and the disabled will be allowed to get their essentials of food and medication between the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 am on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

All other residents are allowed to get their essentials during specific periods, on those two days, according to surnames.

People whose surnames starting with the letters A to M will be allowed to leave home to purchase essentials between 10:00 am and 1:30 pm, while surnames N to Z are allowed to leave home for essentials from 1:30 pm to 5:00pm. 

All persons must carry identification and are advised to limit trips to one person per household.

In addition,  the police will be manning entry and exit points to St Catherine and will be armed with forehead thermometers. 

Members of the essential services will only be allowed out of the parish if their temperature is normal, if they  are wearing a mask, have identification and do not have any flu-like symptoms. 

Temperatures will also be checked upon re-entry to the parish.

“We have always known and, indeed, we have said that as we progressed through the epidemic that there would be an increase in numbers and even a spike,”  Holness said.

“We have done fairly well. We have lasted about 33 days in a linear scale. We have put in place measures, which, by and large, the country has followed. We could say that the majority of Jamaicans were faithful in abiding by the tighter curfew hours imposed during the Easter period,” he added.

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