Last Updated on April 21, 2020, 7:10 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Jamaica has now risen to 223, with 27 new cases being detected in the country over the last 24 hours.
However, even if the total number of cases has become 223, still the number of deaths in the country remains five.
The Minister of Health and Wellness for Jamaica, Dr Christopher Tufton announced that 27 new cases had been detected over the last 24 hours at a press briefing at Jamaica House today.
He also announced that out of the newly detected 27 cases, 19 cases are females, while on the other hand, eight cases are male.
Twenty-six cases out of the Twenty-seven new cases have been linked to a business process outsourcing (BPO) entity named Alorica situated in Portmore, St Catherine.
With the discovery of 27 new cases, the number of imported cases in the country has become 34, while 6 cases are local transmissions without any epidemiological link, 47 cases are the contacts of previously confirmed cases, 136 cases are still under investigation.
It is noteworthy that out of the 136 cases which are presently under investigation, 120 cases are related to the Alorica BPO, the BPO from which 26 confirmed cases have been found.
After the new cases were discovered in the country, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness has tightened curfew restrictions.
The curfew would now start at 6 pm and would end at 6 am.
Effective from April 21, 2020, onwards, the curfew would stay in force for the next 14 days.
Prime Minister Holness has also made it compulsory for all the persons to wear masks in public and cover their face and also to stay at least six feet apart from each other.
The Prime Minister of Jamaica has also adjusted the hours for shopping for the parish of St Catherine.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
