Last Updated on March 22, 2020, 10:00 AM AST by Anthony Morris
As the efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus by the Jamaican Government increase, the Government has decided to close all airports and seaports to incoming traffic.
Although the incoming passenger traffic would be stopped, yet the incoming and outgoing cargos and outgoing passengers would be allowed.
The Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said during a press conference that the new measures would initially run for 14 days.
The total number of cases has become 19 in Jamaica after three new patients have been confirmed in the country.
It was said by the Minister for health and wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton that based on evaluations, and the movement needed to be suspended.
Tufton said that all the countries around the globe are imposing restrictions on traffic and that Jamaica’s attempts of trying to handle the potential crisis due to coronavirus, includes the border closure.
The three newly confirmed patients of the virus are, a US citizen, a 38-year-old male who has travel history of travelling from Boston, second is a 30-year-old female, who had travelled all the way from New York.
A 60-year-old female is the third patient. She is a retired resident of Portland, and she is under investigation.
Tufton urged the passengers on three recently landed JetBlue flights to make contact with the Ministry of Health as soon as possible.
He added that these three flights were the flights on which the newfound patients had travelled.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness also said that that a quarantine centre would be made at The University of the West Indies, Mona.
Also, he said that the final-year medical students would be supporting in the clinical and surveillance activities of the Ministry of Health.
The Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck, has said that in consistence with the measures taken by the Government, the court operations would be slowed down for the period between March 23 to April 20.
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.
