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KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 8, 2020 (CMC) – The Jamaica government announced, yesterday, that several areas in the parish of St. Mary have been placed under quarantine, as the island deals with the coronavirus (COVID-19) that has so far infected 478 Jamaicans.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness, in collaboration with the National Emergency Operating Centre, said it had reviewed the situation in St. Mary and, in consultation with other stakeholders, agreed on the areas to be quarantined for the next 14 days.
The areas include Dover, Enfield and Annotto Bay, and the quarantine had been effected, under the Disaster Risk management Act.
The government gave no details as to the number of positive cases in the parish, but noted “there are a total of 13 persons, who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the communities, and our investigations show that there is considerable movement of the affected persons, which has increased the risk of exposure to the all persons in the communities”.
The Ministry warned that exposed persons in the communities may develop infection and cause spread to other members, resulting in a rapid increase in the numbers of positive cases.
“This is due, in the main, to the high movement of persons, within the affected households, within the communities; the high population density of two of the communities identified, and the high vulnerability of persons, within the communities, to severe illness, due to age, co-morbidities and other socio-economic factors,” it added.
It noted that the quarantine of the communities is to restrict movement of members of the communities to slow or prevent new exposures and, hence, new infections, by further testing of members of the communities; close monitoring of members of the communities for development of symptoms; early containment of newly-detected cases; prevention of new exposures and transmission of disease; and the education of members of the communities of infection prevention and control measures.
