good afternoon and welcome to the midday news here's what we have in the bulletin
delays in second dose of inoculation exercise due to vaccine shortage
bernard lodge farmers and scj holdings at it again over compensation and relocation
and later in sports four new players in reggae boys provisional roster for concacaf gold cup
i'm giovanni dennis and here are the details people under 50 who have been scheduled for
the second dose of the covid-19 vaccine will see delays as shortages force the Government
to prioritize Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton however says efforts are being made to
secure more vaccines in short order so the delay won't be protracted shameless pulling reports
up to 30 000 people under the age of 50 who received their first dose of the covet vaccine
in april were scheduled to get the second dose this weekend but a shortage has forced
the government to change that plan director of family health services in the ministry of
health dr melody ennis outlines the changes it will begin friday saturday sunday that's the
18th 19th and 20th for all those three days it's persons over the age of 50 for their second dose
at the sites that will be announced now persons who have already received a text message i'm sure
you would have also got a second message to say to please disregard that message health minister
dr christopher tufton says until more shipments arrive health officials will have to be selective
in terms of who gets the doses that are left but dr toughton says there is no need for panic
he says shipments are expected in the coming weeks including from the united states
as said we anticipate an allocation out of the us based on the announcements and the discussions
that are taking place within the next two weeks um we have ordered and paid for chance johnson
um starting in august 1.9 million doses not not receiving all at once but over several months
but starting in august that is still on track and we do expect to get additional supplies
uh in july of the from the kovacs facility meanwhile dr ennis says the ministry is
working to vaccinate persons whose appointments have been pushed back within the recommended
12-week window however she says the second dose can also be administered beyond the 12 weeks
the germ fighting tools they decline over time but when you get to about 120 days
in your three-month period you still are protected just by about 30 percent and the recommendation
therefore is between your eighth and twelfth week for getting the second dose now also recommended
is if you have missed that 12 week mark you are ready to get the vaccine as soon as possible after
we are not going to be restarting the schedule it will just continue shimela pullen tvj news
as the summer period approaches chief medical officer dr jacqueline bisesa mckenzie is warning
jamaicans not to drop their guards on the kovite 19 restrictions dr bessesa mckenzie says presently
most of the major covid indicators are going in the right direction however the country has still
not achieved a positivity rate below five percent as such consistent application of prevention
measures is still necessary to let our guard don't know we are going into a danger period
if we take the experience from last year where we saw that during the summer period
there were various activities and events that would have led to increased exposure and increased
transmission rates so this is not the time to let go of your precautions now is it time to ensure
that you adhere to these precautions to keep the indicators going down
meanwhile health minister dr christopher toughton explained that while restricting gatherings has
been the most effective control measure the government has to consider the practical realities
he says these restrictions have been affecting the mental health of jamaicans one of the
things that has emerged over the last year or third or 15 months is the fact that the virus
and the measures around restrictions come with side effects on our society on our economy
from the social or socio psychosocial perspective we have seen impact on you know mental health so
persons who have been restricted to stay home have been impacted by anxiety depression you know not
being able to pursue your normal habits of being with friends family just loneliness generally
61 new cases of covid 19 were confirmed on thursday from 866 samples the country's overall
case count is now 49 564. the positivity rate now stands at 6.9 percent five new deaths have also
been recorded pushing the death toll to 1028. in the meantime 127 persons are hospitalized
with the respiratory illness nine are critically ill there are 19 836 active cases
residents of seaforth and its environs in saint thomas can expect improved healthcare services
at their community health center soon this following redevelopment plans for the facility
speaking thursday at an adopt a clinic ceremony at the seaforth health center health minister
dr christopher tufton says the facility has been adopted by cancun limited which trades
under the linsted market banner and the separate foundation the adoption promises an investment
of six million dollars from the companies over the next three years to improve the facility
there is a plan for the expansion of services in these parts in recognition of the numbers and
the anticipated growth this health center deals about a thousand patients per month
and i believe it will increase over time and there are plans now looking at environmental
health dental services health records clinical assessment and an improvement in client services
dr tufton said other healthcare facilities in the parish will also be upgraded
adding that infrastructure development is slated for saint thomas in anticipation
of people moving into the parish once the southern coastal highway improvement project
and the morante bay urban center are completed meanwhile the health minister says
the kovit-19 pandemic has revealed the need for investment in community health care island-wide
because 75 percent of the 1000 plus victims of covid those who have died
are persons who suffer from some form of lifestyle related disease age is a factor
75 percent over 60 but they carry with them arthritis diabetes hypertension cancer and i
could go on it's one crisis after another between farmers and the sugar company of jamaica holdings
over relocation at bernard lodge in portmores and catherine the latest involves a farmer who
has been plowing the same 12 acres of land for the past 12 years ocean masters has his story
where's my money the cry of at least one father in bernard launched portmoss and catherine
after plants and animal structures on his farm were destroyed recently by scg holdings trevor
lee houston says a letter was received from scj holdings to vacate the property last year but
there was no follow-up by the joseph secure lead organization hence we are called shook here have
a meeting with him and he come he told the police look around we ask him when we're going to move
instead we cannot move we thought we get money to remove subsequently mr houston says valuators were
sent to his property he says valuations were done by the rural agricultural development authority
radar on the farm products while another company valued the buildings but even before compensator
refunds could be received they got right to broke down misawa sap some of them unhacky bearing trees
pier tree plum tree and we can get no
nothing to hear how much materialism value almost we get in front of them or not it has
led mr houston to question the intent of a government to farmers this government do not
stand for small farmers you hear they're going to encourage you to you you'll get fed up and leave
there is nothing for small farmers as asked around this burner large era here he says
scj holdings has identified lands in nearby salt pond for the relocation exercise however
that comes with its own challenges no water no electricity and deplorable road conditions
as for the next step would i like to see the prime minister because they are told then tell
me specially that is the prime minister every time i go to them they said the prime minister said
is the prime minister lana the prime minister want this peace
and is the prime minister said this apparently well like the prime minister
and the minister of harry potter because i heard so much good plan from the minister of agriculture
about farmers but it just passing over our head we are not enjoying nothing o'shea masters
tvj news and mr houston has been plowing that land for 10 years and not 12. it's no time for
a break here on the midday news but please stay with us we'll have much more when you return