good afternoon I'm Herman green with the midday news a special welcome if you're
watching online at one spot Mediacom the University of the West Indies has
activated a coronavirus response plan regarding transfer students and teachers
currently in China the University says it has been closely monitoring the
corona virus outbreak in China because of its links with China the UE has an
administrative presence and 36 students enrolled in a BSC software engineering
program at UA China Institute of information technology which allows for
two years of study had the Global Institute of software technology gist
now at this time of the inter semester BRIC 28 students and one administrator
are currently in Soochow China Lewis says it's working closely with gist and
other relevant local authorities in China to ensure the safety and
well-being of students and staff the University noted that it is also
engaging global precautionary measures as well as the positions adopted by its
stakeholder governments in relation to the travel advisories and screening
protocols now the city of of hsu of Soochow in china is not within the
epicenter of the virus nevertheless the gist campus remains closed until
February 23 when the new semester is expected to begin ue argues that there
is continuous on-site support on the campus and medical screening protocols
have been established the UN leadership says it's in regular contact with gist
and is receiving situation reports the university has also held meetings with
the students and communicated directly with parents and guardians who will meet
with university officials on Friday
meanwhile Health Minister dr. Christopher Tufton has provided
clarification on the travel advisory issued for persons wishing to travel
between Jamaica and China in light of a deadly corona outbreak in China
Minister on Tuesday advised that persons should avoid travelling to China and
that persons in China should stay there however in Tuesday's sitting on the
House of Representatives opposition Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lisa Hanna
raised concern about Jamaicans in China who would be stranded is if a student or
resident of Jamaica from China wanted to come back because of weather anxiety or
or the threat levels get too high with the government be willing to repot help
repatriate that student back to Jamaica or would they be alone depending on the
exigencies to come back in the early we are not going to refuse entry to our
national who wants to return home for what one reason or the other in China
however in China there are some restrictions are on trouble depending on
where you are now the government has imposed so once you would have
maneuvered that which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be better able to
comment on and those persons clearly would be allowed in but subject to
appropriate quarantine arrangements which is where I spoke to protocols
could be isolation so they may have to stay home for a period of time and
checked on periodically by the medical practitioners to ensure that they are
free during that incubation period meanwhile some 200 US citizens are due
to be quarantined in California after arriving from Wuhan China amid the
corona virus outbreak the passengers mostly diplomats were evacuated via a
chartered flight that landed on US soil on Wednesday we have the details from
the CNN
we do apologize for the absence of audio and that clip will try to rectify it as
soon as possible now all this comes as the death toll in
China from the coronavirus reached 170 the worst-hit province of Hebei has so
far reported 37 fatalities 7711 people in China are now confirmed to have the
infection with 1032 new cases in who be the World Health Organization wh Oh
yesterday warned all governments to take action over the virus that originated in
Hubei as hundreds of foreigners were evacuated from the city beyond China
more than a dozen countries have reported the illness with new cases
reported yesterday in Finland and in the United Arab Emirates now the World
Health Organization will hold an urgent meeting today over whether the outbreak
should be declared a global health emergency a designation that can lead to
increase international coordination it has described the global risk from the
virus as high and we know go back to that story we had earlier where some 200
US citizens are being quarantined after being after coming in London in the u.s.
from China the corona virus is spreading rapidly we think in China we think it is
appropriate that our citizens who are in the epicenter of that outbreak in Wuhan
be repatriated home for their own safety American evacuees from the epicenter of
the corona virus outbreak are now under evaluation at the March Air Reserve Base
in Southern California being kept away from other people in a separate part of
the base we are going to monitor them for the full extent of their incubation
period the evacuees were isolated on the plane bringing them back the way that
this plane was put together the upper level of the crew was completely
separated from the lower passengers so air flow all sort of every sort of
interaction between the top and the bottom we're completely isolated more
than 160 people in at least 36 states have now been investigated for possible
in fact by the CDC so it's the world on the
verge of a global health emergency on Thursday officials at the World Health
Organization will reconvene to consider declaring one American health officials
are now airing their concerns this is a very serious and rapidly evolving
situation this is a potential public health threat in the United States now
we know take a break here on the midday news but stay with us there's more when
we return welcome back continuing the news in other news no country is ever
fully prepared that's the response from the office of the disaster preparedness
and emergency management odd pimp following criticism on social media in
the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake the agency was criticized for what
persons deemed as a slow response after the seven point seven magnitude quake
rocked the region however speaking on a morning agenda Acting Director General
of odd Pam Richard Thompson says the agencies on the ground risk emergency
response procedures were activated however mr. Thompson admitted that there
are deficiencies in its emergency communication and warning structure I
present the agency is heavily dependent on the media to get messages to the
public he says our focus will be on the
what you have awareness new restrictions by the National Water Commission NWC are
to begin in the corporate area today the end of listening media announcement
through a media release the NWC news release stated that The Hermitage demand
Moana reservoir are now at 89 percent and 82 percent of their respective
capacities this it says is a result of reduced inflows on Monday
the Barbados miss Caribbean climate outlook forum warned of possible drought
conditions during the February to April period of this year
it said Jamaica will be among the affected countries the end of list he
stated that starting Thursday January 30 areas supplied by the mana treatment
plant will experience nightly supply disruptions between 9 p.m. and 5 o'clock
the following morning with the nightly reduction in operations NWC customers
might have no water or experience low water pressure affected areas include
sections of Moana Heights old Hope Road Hope Road Hope flats lady musgrave road
sections of New Kingston and halfway tree Hagley Park Road Maxfield Avenue
maligns Road sections of Harbor View and Mountain View Avenue other areas on the
list are cross roads South Camp Road downtown Kingston Beverly Hills Raveena
moana road Devon square waterloo road kasia park and eastwood park Assistant
Commissioner of Police Garry Griffiths is this afternoon urging lawmen to
evaluate themselves so they are more effective in policing
he says the call follows several complaints of poor service by police
officers working in the area of five Police Division ACP Griffiths was
speaking at an annual devotional meeting held recently at the Greater Portman
police station TV J's Prince Moore has the details the air-five Police Division
has accounted for at least five domestic murders since the start of the year
Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the division Garry Griffiths
is fearful that this figure may increase this is because he believes there's a
lack of commitment from law enforcers who work in various communities within
the division what we're getting is police Kumba so you know ACP Griffiths
adds that poor service from police officers is
among the list of complaints received from citizens which he says is
unacceptable there was a time when policing was
something that was seen at a service
their bodies around their phones and to make matters worse he indicated that the
resources of the Jamaica Constabulary force jcf is not being maintained the
reality is we have oh I know we use those resources of better people who
need assistance from us so we are asking we're begging ponies in order to be a
force of good after first Prince more TVJ news Grammy winner coffee continues
to get plaudits locally the 19 year old reggae sensation became the youngest
person to win the prestigious musical award last weekend head of the national
integrity action professor Trevor Monroe used the artist story to rally young
people to stay away from a life of crime and corruption professor Monroe was
addressing students at an integrity Club launched in Kingston on Wednesday first
in the world getting a Grammy Award copy days ago she is no werth at age
nineteen forty point five million Jamaican dollars
300,000 u.s. usain he is worth 90 million u.s. dollars 1.2 billion
unneeded em Eskimo they look they use their talent the god-given talent which
each of you have and they use it to benefit others coffee many charities she
did the ISA trust charity performance children benefit and that's the midday
news remember primetime news is at 7:00 on
behalf of the entire team present viewing