Bark Di Trute!

STATUS REPORT
Jamaica now has a total of 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The increase comes as a result of 3 positive cases:

1. a 38-year old male, US Citizen, with  a history of travel from Boston,
MA.  He arrived  March 14, 2020

2. a 30-year old female  with a history of travel from New York arriving in Jamaica on March 17, 2020.

3. a 60-year old female, retiree resident of Portland; this case remains under investigation


Prior to these three, the Most Honorable Prime Minister would have announced a 16th case during parliament: who was a 57-year old male with a history of travel from Long Island, New York, who arrived in Jamaica on March 10, 2020.

To date, we have tested 89 cases at the National Influenza Centre:
• 19, would have tested positive
• 70 cases test negative and

We are awaiting the results for 10 cases.


Additionally of note:

• 479 persons have come into the island from a country of interest since January 31.

• 25 persons are in quarantine in a Government facility.

• 110 are in home quarantine. Note that these home quarantine numbers do not include the residents of 7 & 8 Miles Bull Bay and Corn Piece
Settlement in Clarendon

• 46 persons are in isolation in Government facilities.

Community Quarantine

We have two communities currently under quarantine: 7 & 8 Miles, Bull Bay and Corn Piece Settlement, Hayes, Clarendon.

Corn Piece – like Seven and Eight Miles, Bull Bay in St Andrew before – will be under quarantine for the next 14 days. During that time, the public health investigations will be completed, even as residents are monitored closely for any signs of COVID-19.

Early detection of symptoms will allow for early isolation and prevention of the transmission of the virus.


As previously announced by the Hon. Prime Minister:

The boundary for the quarantine runs from its starting point along the private railroad track that is located to the east of the community then heads in a southerly direction for approximately two hundred and thirty metres (230m).

It continues in a southwesterly direction to a point just south of the Corn Piece Settlement community along the gully way and then in  a northerly direction along another gully way for a distance of approximately 530m to a point west of the three-way junction leading into the Corn Piece Community.

It then runs in an easterly direction and terminates at the start point at the private railroad track.

Our enhanced medical surveillance continues in the Bull Bay area and a similar set of actions will take place in Corn Piece Settlement including: 

o Mapping by Senior Public Health Inspector  o Interviewing of each head of household with screening questions and the temperature of persons taken.
o if a positive sign of fever or any symptom is elicited, the necessary actions will be taken.

• Arrangements have been put in place for the Medical Officer to be on call for medical direction in the community.

• Pharmacy Services – The National Health Fund (NHF) DrugServ Mobile Unit has been assigned to provide pharmacy services. 

• Social Services: The Ministry of Labour & Social Security is distributing care packages for families. 

Specifically to Bull Bay, between Sunday, March 15 to Thursday, March 19:
• 1,019 Households have been visited
• 1,522 persons have been interviewed and assessed
• 1 person had a history of a fever and was isolated as of Sunday and
• Over 600 sets of educational material has been distributed

Appeal for Travelers on JetBlue Flights:

The Ministry of Health & Wellness wishes to urgently make contact with all passengers, who travelled on the following flights:
• JetBlue Flight 659, which arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

• JetBlue Flight 2959 which arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday, March 12 at midnight

• JetBlue Flight B2893 which arrived at  the Donald Sangster International Airport at 2:14 p.m. on March 14, 2020

Passengers are to call any of the following numbers: 888-ONE-LOVE (663-5683) /888-754-7792876-542-5998/ 876-542-6007 or 876-542- 6006. Persons may also send an email with their contact details to:  covid19@moh.gov.jm or jacovid19facts@gmail.com.