Last Updated on April 23, 2020, 7:18 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness said that he has been informed by the intelligence outfits of Jamaica that criminal organisations in the country are planning to exploit the existing COVID-19 coronavirus crisis in the nation.
The Prime Minister said that intelligence has been received, which he would not elaborate too much, that several organised criminal gangs exist in the country who are seeking to create hysteria and unrest and are aiming at targeting the distribution and retail chains.
He said that these gangs are seeking to create chaos and to start riots by putting their people in lines.
The Prime Minister made the comments regarding this issue in the Parliament yesterday, which means, a day after he had indicated that his Government was not ready to shut down the country to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Jamaica had recorded 233 cases of the novel coronavirus yesterday. The total number of cases of the virus in Jamaica had become 233 after ten new cases of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus had been confirmed in the nation.
It is noteworthy that the ten new cases of the virus include five workers of the Health Ministry. Three other cases are linked to the Alorica call centre situated in St Catherine, and the other two are still under investigation.
Six persons have died due to the novel coronavirus in the country.
Holness warned the members of the criminal groups who have been trying to exploit the coronavirus crisis to discontinue their criminal activities.
He said that the gangs should know that even though the country is busy in fighting the health epidemic, the Government has not softened or have diverted its efforts of fighting crime, violence and murder epidemic in Jamaica.
The House of Representatives meanwhile has voted to extend the state of emergency that has been in force in the country to reduce crime for a further span of 90 days.
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.
