KINGSTON – Prime Minister Andrew Holness Monday night announced an islandwide ten-hour curfew from April 1 as the island continued its efforts to reduce the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Holness, speaking at a news conference here, said that the curfew would begin at 8 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. He said the curfew would be in place until April 8.
Holness said there would be various restrictions linked to the curfew, including the restrictions on public transportation and appealed o citizens “to make the necessary arrangements so they can be off the roads” during the curfew period.
He said all the measures under the curfew would be published in the official Gazette on Tuesday.
Holness told the public to be prepared for a “significant increase” in the number of cases in Jamaica, given that it is more than 20 days since more than 3 000 people had entered the island.
Holness said he was certain that not every one of those people had engaged in self-quarantine and may have been “all over the island”.
He said also that not everyone had been adhering to the social distancing rules.
Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton said that to date, Jamaica has recorded 36 positive cases of the virus and 51 people remain in isolation and 34 in quarantine in government facilities.
Tufton said that of the new cases there were two people with travel history and one still under investigation, while a 45-year-old health worker had become the first frontline worker to test positive for the virus that has killed more than 20 000 people worldwide since it was first detected in China last December.
“She is in isolation and is being given the best treatment,” Tufton said.
“It is very important that the population understand that COVID-19 is a disease
. . . but it can be treated.”
He said people who have been treated should therefore not be shunned.
(CMC)
