COVID Upsurge in Jamaica

THE Ministry of Health and Wellness says there are indications that social gatherings over Jamaica’s Independence holiday period have played a role in the spike in COVID-19 cases the country is now experiencing.

At its weekly virtual press briefing yesterday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie pointed to the maximum incubation period of 14 days on the heels of Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton earlier disclosing that the country recorded 98 new coronavirus cases in a one-day period.

“So what we are actually seeing are probably resulting from activities that occurred over the holiday period of August 1 to 6… We know there were a number of gatherings and parties at that time, and we believe some of what is happening, two weeks later, is as a result of those activities there,” she stated.

Dr Bisasor-McKenzie said health teams are also now observing incubation periods of between five and seven days.

Of the 98 positive results attained over the 24-hour period ending yesterday 10 were from the backlog of cases which the ministry said has now been cleared.

This is the largest number of cases for a 24-hour period and brings to 1,290 Jamaica’s total number of COVID-19 cases. One more person has died from the virus — a 74-year-old Clarendon man — bringing the number of deaths associated with the disease to 15. At the same time, 16 more patients have recovered from the virus, increasing the number of recoveries to 788.

The Corporate Area accounts for the majority of new cases, with 53 people returning positive results, while five of the new cases are in St Thomas. In fact, two more St Thomas communities — Albion and Seaforth — were placed under quarantine yesterday. Dr Tufton said the two communities have seen 13 new cases over the last three weeks.

Of the other cases, St Catherine recorded 17; Clarendon, seven; St James, four; Manchester, four; St Mary, three; St Ann, three; and Westmoreland recorded two.

The health minister said 10 of the 98 new cases are imported, with eight of those individuals arriving from the United States of America and two from India.

Meanwhile, Dr Tufton advised that a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee on public health is scheduled for today, at which time the executive is expected to make a number of decisions based on the current COVID-19 surge.

He indicated that the adjustments that were made to monitor and intervene, through surveillance and investigations, as the Government sought to return to some aspects of normality, are working but could be readjusted.

“Most of the cases picked up are cases that are linked to some form of investigation. So we are gathering the information and intervening, as appropriate, but that does not mean that the strategies may not have to be adjusted in terms of pulling back on the easing of some of the restrictions. It ultimately is the call of the Cabinet, and the Cabinet and the prime minister have never been afraid to make that call where that call is necessary,” Dr Tufton said.

He pointed out that the majority of the risks continue to come from individuals in home quarantine who disobey the rules.

However, the health and wellness minister also said that, with the ballooning numbers, it is increasingly difficult to place people in State-funded facilities, which means that caring for those who are COVID-19-positive at home has to become the norm.

“When we started on this COVID response journey it was not difficult to establish publicly funded facilities through collaboration with the private sector or otherwise to house the limited numbers and limited spread,” he said, noting also that the temporary closure of larger hotels had made it possible to make those arrangements.

“The suggestion that we now move back to that has to be contextualised with practicality of that, because we would not have the number of beds or buildings that would be able to accommodate the type of numbers that are coming in,” he said.

There are 28,741 people in home quarantine and nine in government facilities.

The minister said that discussions have started with a bilateral partner on the proposed field hospital.

Story via Jamaica Observer