but afternoon I am and wretches on with the midday news a special welcome if
you're watching on one spot Mediacom the Health Ministry is again warning
Jamaicans to prepare for community spread over Kovac 19 at a press
conference yesterday health minister dr. Christopher Tufton said the government
will implement a different management protocol when communities spread begins
details in this report 252 kovaydin 19 cases with a tripling of positive tests
in less than two weeks most coming from the anarchic call center and Portman
Catherine representing a spike in the numbers before that outbreak but for
health minister dr. Christopher Tufton what Jamaicans are seeing so far may
only be the tip of the iceberg he said apart from the 1146 people who are in
isolation or quarantine at home or in government facilities hundreds more who
may have come in contact with positive cases are being sought in addition to
the hundreds that are in quarantine or isolation with a home or institutions
the team are in the field every day seeking to identify and to followup with
and to interrogate and to test and to collect samples of some fourteen hundred
and nine Jamaicans and that number is a moving target
it increases each hour depending on the information and depending on the next
confirmed case he described the process of tracing those persons as stressful
and urged to Jamaicans to play their part in minimizing the predicted
community spread coming too early because of the impact it will have what
the capacity of the health services to cope you just need to look at other
countries where they have had surgeries where patients cannot get ventilators
cannot get hospital beds evening some very developed countries and so the plan
has always been to use restrictions to minimize in the
first instance imported cases to contain through contact tracing through
quarantining and isolation the threat that may present itself in terms of
potential cases and to use that time to enhance the public health infrastructure
in order to deal with what would have been an inevitable scenario given the
nature of this virus where it becomes more widespread across the country in
terms of people picking up the virus from others and not even knowing that
they have it because they may be seen a symptomatic and not knowing where it has
come from as is the case with earlier cases where we have a travel history
that's linked to the virus this is called community spread the or
authorities say they have seen signs it is beginning it is not known as yet if
any of the 148 cases under investigation represents that phase of the outbreak we
want the Jamaican people to begin to start adjusting their minds to what
community transmission and community spread is and what the implications are
for them for us in public health what their role needs to be and what are some
of the adjustments and changes that are going to be necessary when we declare
that we are now in community spread because it's a different management
mechanism that has to be put in place he said when the numbers start spiking
everyone who tests positive won't require or could be afforded a hospital
bed and many will be told to stay at home until they recover for now his
message is simple stay at home and practice proper hygiene to minimize the
chances of catching the disease so far 28 people have recovered from over 219
while six have died machine masters TV tenures meanwhile chief medical officer
dr. Jacqueline Bisset McKenzie gave an update
the impact of Kovac 19 on healthcare workers had three health care workers
from the field that have tested positive and we have in addition to that we have
or the seven persons from the ministry of health and wellness head office that
have tested positive all of these persons are doing quite
well and we continue to monitor them on a daily basis we have two persons that
are in three persons that are in facilities right now we actually have
four persons sorry that are in facilities right now and they are doing
well we had one person that was moderately ill and that has improved
quite significantly and is doing very well
Jamaica is expected to be among regional countries to get coronavirus test skates
from the latest batch provided by the Pan American Health Organization PAHO
director of Pahoa dr. Carrie Carissa Etienne says 4.5 million test skates are
being dispatched to member states 1.5 million kits will be dispatched
throughout the region followed by another 3 million next week
pas who indicated that between February 13 and April 15 Jamaica got about 19,000
test skates and that's along with additional material to detect Kovac 19
on Tuesday finance minister dr. Nigel Clark is expected to address concerns
regarding allocations for the compassionate grants on the government's
kovat allocation of resources for employees care program Parliament's
public administration and Appropriations Committee paa see yesterday questioned
last week's closure of the application window pa AC chairman dr. Wickham
McNeill noted that some of the most needy did not get a chance to apply
because they're unable to use the online application portal government committee
member Franklin Witter shared a similar concern and made this inquiry the
compassionate grant is over subscribe and there are other of the grants that
are under suspect we will be able to have that flexibility to recalibrate
funds so that you could accommodate because at nobody
one of the challenges that you face with me over subscription of the
compassionate one is that some of these persons especially farmers general dub
250,000 farmers in Jamaica there was nothing any packet from small farmers
and therefore I was venting and compassionate grant so these are some of
the things I think you need to look at in terms of recalibrating some of those
funds that would have not been taken up by some of the persons who have the
registration and and challenges with registration financial secretary Darlene
Morrison said the Finance Minister could address the concerns surrounding the
compassionate grants when he speaks in the House of Representatives okay sir so
I was indicated earlier we are and will be doing an assessment in terms of the
applications that have come in the years that they have come in under where the
most and there will be a determination on what to do going forward
right so again the minister will speak on Tuesday and may address so he's
willing to speak on Tuesday yes Conte and it's time for a break more stories
when we return
welcome back and we're continuing the news as the number of Kovac 19 cases
increase in Jamaica there are concerns about a lack of water
residents of Stepney in southwest Saint Anne say access to water has always been
a major problem say no attend at the community and the Jordano who can't done
no farming can't one so you must imagine the situation retinal media may suffer
really hardly metal the semester for heart because maybe a father him main
talent it's simple I may have three children on me and we can do nothing
we'll have nothing in our own nothing they would you destroy look over there
officially I will dear before we change that he says some residents are able to
buy water in neighboring communities miss Lawrence however notes that the
water in the tank in Stepney is discolored yeah but it green no you
can't use me not were the people army was a question about me no use that
water wash from that water can never good for shoppers and so for the caller
would division Paul McFarlane says he tries but more help is needed from the
government with water if the calls not us that is inaudible
when the truck that shot water for the division it is like and maybe it will
accumulate hundred thousand for loads of our time this time the Dupree challenge
I just can't do anymore I just wish and hope that someone will
hear the pride of the people and see how this we can address while the government
has outlined specific shopping days for residents in st. Catherine to help
contain the spread of Kobe 90-year there have been no official guidelines for
incoming patients at health facilities in the parish therefore the number of
incoming patients remain the same particularly at clinics
that's why CEO I had the Spanish town hospital domain Francis has utilized the
tents outside Mr Francis explains that the tents will help to encourage
physical distancing the tent will allow us to be able to continue the process of
social distancing the clinic area but you know more benches so patients can
sit further apart from each other and also to support the patients who are
coming here in the mornings for service that they have a better era to be to to
wait on the outside until they are brought on the inside for the service to
begin based on what is happening in terms of the pandemic and social
distancing is something that is has this the only thing that Islam created in a
positive in minimizing the pandemic and we hoping that you know this is part of
the effort to ensure that we remain T and that Mr Francis adds that on
maternal days the clinic receives an increased number of patients the clinic
continues and with the same numbers because those mothers will be coming on
certain days and I come in large numbers so we have to manage how we treat
those mothers entering a social distance is maintained and also that the service
that they require is actually delivered another escapee from the Huntsville
police lockup is back behind bars Roger gain or otherwise called screechie
turned himself in yesterday afternoon that was disclosed by a head of the st.
Andrew south police scene a superintendent we in Cameron five of the
escapees are back in custody one is deceased so there are two inmates were
still out there they are Michael and Anna Ellis and Ken or wholeness
otherwise called Oliver we are asking residents especially in our own the
corporate area to the vigilant and to be on the alert any sightings of these two
individuals these two escapees please call the police call one one nine call
crimestop call the nearest police station in the meantime I must use the
opportune to the some residents for their cooperation in those five persons
who have been returned to our custody and as I mentioned of world one is now
deceased but I want to express our appreciation to the residents of
supported us all heartedly in this course meanwhile SSP Cameron says the
captured prisoners have been isolated from the general population to ensure
they have not been infected with the corona virus he said they're receiving
regular temperature checks in news overseas the state of Georgia is aiming
to reopen by this Friday despite a warning from a key coronavirus model
showing it shouldn't open until at least mid-june but what are the likely
implications of the move for that we go to the CNN President Trump signing an
executive order suspending immigration into the US for at least 60 days this
will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line
for jobs as our economy reopens this as the u.s. announces 270 million dollars
to help other countries with their coronavirus fights but after a pledge by
President Trump the World Health Organization the World
Health Organization's regulatory off arm clearly failed during this pandemic the
organization defending its actions looking back I think we declared
emergency at the right time I'm a debate over the past concern about
the future a model from the University of Washington suggests no states should
be reopening businesses before May 1st this says Georgia prepares to allow some
businesses to open Friday a move the president doesn't support it's just too
soon I think it's too soon elsewhere officials like the mayor of
Las Vegas say things aren't moving quickly enough
I want our restaurants open I want our small businesses open I want our people
back in employment governors in states like California not bowing to pressure
we have tried to make it crystal clear that there is no light switch and there
is no date some relief for businesses is likely on the way on Thursday the house
is expected to clear a 480 billion dollar package with funds for small
businesses hospitals and testing although yet to make a decision on her
immediate future outstanding young hydel high sprinter Ashanti more could be
heading to an overseas university but with the continued uncertainty being
posed by the co bid 19 pandemic the fight is on to keep the young athlete
and others mentally focused on the sport more industry clash between hydel highs
Ashanti Moore and adrenalin highs kevanna Davis and the class 1 girls
sprints had promised to be one of the highlights that this year's is a boys
and girls athletics two championships but that clash was dashed with the
cancellation of champ Moore in her final year of high school was hoping to defend
both the 100 and 200-meter titles in class 1 so what now for the 19 year old
who had seasons best of eleven point four seven and 23.94 seconds for the 100
and 200 meters her coach Corey Bennett says several US College offers as well
as interest from shoe companies had come in before Chams was cancelled but he
says a going pro might be too big a shoe to fill at present with even the shoe
companies struggling in the car crisis and not a lot with this cover her
going to college I'm just myself you know and other days they call the SAT is
now in terms of for this year so I believe that it is official and towards
college I know that I there are so much to complete after an interest in her as
well what we have to talk to anybody and I don't really want to preempt anything
like that and with the cove in nineteen pandemic
posing great uncertainty around the world including in the USA which is now
hardest hit by the virus coach when it says keeping the young athlete and
others mentally focused on sports and their budding careers is proving a tough
challenge copy to the head of her may not have such low we can see a little
better all I'm hoping that she can transition to the next level of
conspiracy she has put her in the global
hopefully should not be too dejected be put on chuckles here because it is
devastating so disappearing and the first house has to soak it in at a stand
for your mind you might have some time Jermaine Brown ending that report and
that's the midday news and Andrea Chisholm join us at seven for the prime
time nice package on behalf of the news sports and production teams good
afternoon