COVID guards still vigilant
Even though Jamaica has relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, some communities are still not taking any chances. The Accompong Maroons in St Elizabeth imposed a ban on outsiders visiting the community to help keep the village COVID-19-free.
At the time of the ban, the Jamaican Government had imposed tight restrictions, including the closure of its borders to passenger traffic and the lockdown of establishments such as bars and amusement spots. Most of those restrictions have since been relaxed.
Fearon Williams, colonel of the Accompong Maroons, told THE WEEKEND STAR that he sees it fitting to wait until the virus is more controlled before welcoming visitors.
“We are observing first before we actually reopen,” he said. “We will be in the shadows observing what is going on, to see whether or not it is at a level that we can deal with because COVID will still be around in a couple years,” he added.
As of yesterday, Jamaica had 611 confirmed cases of the virus which causes respiratory illness. The number of cases has slowed over the past month, with the country experiencing at least four days when no new cases were detected. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said that he is prepared to reimpose the tough measures if the numbers begin the rise again.
PRECAUTIONARY
MEASURES
Williams said the village is still practising social distancing and observing the hygienic practices. “We still consider it serious until proven otherwise, so we will continue to take precautionary measures. Persons still go out but they wear their masks and follow all the usual protection measures like sanitising and washing hands.
“I’m not in any rush because we are in the process of enumeration for election of colonel. It should have taken place but because of the COVID we had to postpone, so for the opening it’s maybe after election or I’ll watch it until August or September before anything,” he said.
Like the Accompong Maroons, residents of Fowler Town, a community in Eight Miles, St Ann, are not so eager to see any new faces in their communities. Robert Dawkins, who mans the checkpoint, says their guard will remain up.
“The gate is still there and we still doing checking of people. We gonna keep up what we are doing until we know for sure that the country is back to normal,” he said. “The youth them in the community willing to set up with me just the same to keep it going as long as we can see that the corona leave us.
“Even our MP sent us a box of hand sanitisers. The other day the prime minister asked us to help out and see what we can do so, I’m not gonna be so stupid to just free up things,” Dawkins added.