Technocrats and clinicians from across the public health system were, up to Friday afternoon, locked in a marathon meeting focused on boosting readiness for an increase in COVID-19 cases this month and into the New Year.
The meeting was called by the Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton and had an agenda that included the readiness assessment for hospitals, critical care and testing. Also on the agenda was an update on border operations, field operations and information communication systems to support reporting and surveillance, together with related financial and administration matters.
“The Ministry of Health is at a critical stage in our enhanced planning for the expected surge in COVID-19 cases this month through to February, in addition to the management of patients with non-communicable diseases and dengue,” the Minister said.
“Today’s meeting was a part of an important exercise to work through the nuts and bolts of an updated surge plan that guards against the overwhelming of our public health system. To the extent possible, we have to ensure that our public health system is not overwhelmed since that is when we are most likely to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 and other deaths,” he added.
Up to December 10, Jamaica had 11,509 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 270 deaths, even as parts of the country begin to show signs of an uptick in cases due to the failure of some members of the public to comply with infection prevention and control measures.
As Christmas nears, the Ministry of Health & Wellness is reminding members of the public to remain vigilant in the wearing of masks, keeping a six feet physical distance from others, frequently washing hands, and abiding by quarantine rules.
The public will be updated on the surge plan for the island in the coming weeks.