GOV’T SEEKS COVID HELP
Ministry sends samples overseas to test for new variants of virus; curfew time now 8:00 pm
PRIME Minister Andrew Holness said yesterday that while there has been a significant increase recently in the number of people testing positive for COVID-19, there is no evidence that the country has entered a new phase of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Holness made the statement while announcing new measures which have been included in the orders under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA), which regulates activities during the crisis, as follows:
Effective today, February 10, the islandwide curfew will commence at 8:00 pm instead of 10:00 pm, and end at 5:00 am
the following morning, until February 24. Additionally, the gathering limit will be reduced from 15 to 10 people.
However, the prime minister conceded that he was well aware there were other issues which were still on the minds of the public.
“I know one of the questions on persons’ minds is whether the spread we are now seeing is related, in any way, to the new strains or variants of the SARSCOV-2 virus,” Holness told the House of Representatives.
He said the Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised that, as part of its surveillance activities on new variants, it has sent off for genome sequencing, 14 positive samples from travellers from the United Kingdom and, later this week, plan to send off another 101 samples randomly selected from parishes.
“The results from genome sequencing
will give us better insights into how prevalent the new variants may be in Jamaica,” he told the House.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Wellness reported that the island had record 403 positive cases of the novel coronavirus in a 24-hour period from a set of 1,935 new samples tested over that time, bringing the island’s COVID-19 case count to 17,701.
The daily positivity rate now stands at 20.82 per cent, the ministry said, adding that the country is now managing 4,793 cases across the island, 156 of which require hospitalisation.
“There are now 22 moderately ill COVID-19 patients and 13 more are in critical condition,” the ministry said.
“One new death, an 84-yearold male from Kingston and St Andrew, was also recorded over the 24- hour period, while 44 more patients have recovered and have been released from isolation. The total number of Covid-19-related deaths now totals 359.”
In response to public sentiments that the increased number of positive results returned since last weekend simply resulted from increased testing, he said while the Ministry of Health and Wellness has increased its testing capacity, there has been no change to the criteria for testing.
“Our testing has always been based on our surveillance, and is focused on suspected cases either as a result of symptoms or contact tracing. We do not do random testing,” he said, noting that the increased numbers are as a result of islandwide surveillance and the addition of 1,100 community health aides.
“We are also seeing less hesitancy towards being tested and a reduction in the stigma associated with COVID-19, as a result of increased awareness. More persons are, therefore, voluntarily coming forward to be tested,” Holness said.
He said that in arriving at the measures which were announced yesterday, the Government had continued to “strike the delicate balance required to save lives while also preserving livelihoods”.
“While we have only observed this significant increase in numbers for the last few days, and it is not yet conclusive that we have entered a new phase, we must take action now to ensure that the numbers do not spiral out of control,” he said.
The pressures that are visible in the health system, Holness added, have indicated the need for action to be taken.
“It is important to recognise that we cannot dedicate the entire capacity of our health care system to COVID-19 alone. There are several other critical illnesses and events (such as road crashes, heart and other respiratory-related complications, and other non-communicable diseases) which our health care professionals have to continue responding to,” said the prime minister.
He stated that from the beginning of the pandemic the Government’s management approach and measures have been measured, proportionate, evidence-based, and situationally appropriate. While the Government is concerned about the rising number of cases, its focus has always been, and continues to be, on making sure that the capacity of the health care system is not overwhelmed, stated Holness.
He told the House that the security forces will be exercising greater vigilance to ensure that there is compliance with the curfew hours and the other measures in the DRMA. However, he again emphasised the importance of individual responsibility, as it has been proven the world over that the standard infection prevention and control protocols — washing and sanitising hands, wearing a properly fitted mask, and maintaining physical distance are effective in preventing the spread of the virus.
These protocols, he emphasised, work against both the existing and the new variants. The significant increase in Jamaica’s recent case numbers, he said, is a reflection that, as a country, we have become somewhat lax in adhering to the basic protocols.
“We all need to exercise the vigilance and care that we did before that enabled us to flatten the curve,” Holness said. “What I want every Jamaican to understand is that the Government can put in place more restrictive measures, but those measures come at an economic cost.”
He said the measures will result in slowing down economic activities and hurting people’s livelihoods.
“You have heard me say many times that we have to learn to live with COVID-19. That is not to say that we must throw up our hands and give up. It means we must learn to go about our normal daily, productive [activities], but do so in a safe way so that we can continue to protect lives while also preserving our livelihoods,” the prime minister stated.