There is no truth to the claim that there is a case of the new Coronavirus at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Dr. Bruce, Medical Chief of Staff at the UHWI, will elaborate.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, a statement will later today be made to Parliament. However, to quickly catch you up.
- In terms of Jamaica’s preparedness for the Coronavirus, we have had discussions at Cabinet. There, the PAHO/WHO representative and our technical team in the Ministry briefed Cabinet on the status of the country and what is happening internationally.
- This morning, we had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Ambassador. Based on those discussions, the GOJ will continue its surveillance protocols, which are in alignment with international health regulations.
- Active surveillance will continue at our ports of entry.
- A travel advisory is being issued. Persons in China who were planning to travel to the island are being asked to defer those plans.For those in Jamaica, who had planned on travelling to China, we are asking that they also defer their plans.
For persons in transit to Jamaica, our quarantine protocols will be put in place where persons will either be quarantined in a health facility or at home, depending on the risk assessment done.
- For families who are concerned about their relatives and friends in China who are there for work or study, our conversation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicates that plans have been put in place to facilitate the needs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will speak more broadly to those plans.