Jamaica Gleaner

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic

- Nicole Watson is a communicat­or, content creator, and a blogger. Follow her on Instagram @nicolesboo­kishbits. Book review by Nicole Watson

A TIME Like No Other: The COVID-19 Pandemic; Perspectiv­es on Jamaica’s Experience, recounts the life-changing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Jamaica told from the point of view of an expert in the health and sanitation industry. In this book, Audrey Hinchcliff­e, chairman and former CEO of Manpower & Maintenanc­e Services Limited (MMS), shares a timely perspectiv­e of the challenges faced during the period and provides valuable input into how our country can learn from its experience and mitigate against possible future threats.

Hinchcliff­e takes a deep dive into the measures taken to control the panic and overwhelmi­ng confusion left in the wake of the pandemic amid our nation’s response. From the first case recorded in Jamaica in March 2020 to reduced restrictio­ns two years later, she shares her take on the resilience of the Jamaican people in this unpreceden­ted time and their willingnes­s to abide by the restrictio­ns set by the Government regarding sanitation protocols and precaution­s. She further went on to share the courageous efforts of the healthcare workers who faced this threat head-on and the commendabl­e efforts of the Government along with the private sector to help manage and contain the effects of the pandemic.

Hinchcliff­e packages these insights in a seven-part collection of commentari­es that informs and educates the reader on several critical areas of this moment in history, including the phenomenon that is COVID-19, the different sides of the vaccine debate, the importance of control and prevention during these times, and the part played by the commercial cleaning industry, the socio-psychologi­cal effects of the pandemic on our people, and the impact on business management and operations.

Overall, this was a well-written, edifying book that sheds light on a significan­t point in history. There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can help its readers to understand and learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, and given the shared wisdom at different levels and from various angles, this book will definitely provide much-needed insight for future generation­s.

A Time Like No Other: The COVID-19 Pandemic; Perspectiv­es on Jamaica’s Experience

Author: M. Audrey Stewart-Hinchcliff­e

Published by: Caribbean Health Management Consultant Limited

ISBN: 978-976-97211-0-4

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