No more lockdowns for Jamaica: PM Holness

Kingston, Jamaica: Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Sunday announced the government would not be imposing lockdowns in the country. There were tensions among the citizens that the government might declare a curfew with stringent guidelines as the island witnesses the fourth wave of the COVID-19.

PM Holness asserted, “I was not planning on turning this into a COVID conversation, but I know there is great tension in the air and what it says to me is that people are not listening to what I have said. I have been very clear in Parliament, very clear, absolutely gone overboard to say that we are not going back to lockdowns, so be calm”.

Further asking the general public to follow the existing health protocols and take their COVID-19 vaccine jabs, he cited, “I have told what the (containment) strategy is. It is now in your hands. Go and take the vaccine immediately. That is the strategy”.

Following the statement, the prime minister highlighted that it is the responsibility of an individual to safeguard and take care of him/her; the government does not hold the responsibility to go and forcibly put the needle in their hands if anyone gets sick.

PM Holness added that no vaccination centre or site is running out of COVID-19 vaccine stock across the island, neither any complaints so far have been heard by the health ministry regarding the shortage of vaccine doses.

To check the current protocols or for any update related to them, the citizens can visit the health ministry’s official website at – https://www.moh.gov.jm/.

Earlier in the first week of the year, the health minister warned the Jamaicans of the fourth wave of the COVID-19, asking them to abide by the measures. More than 100,000 confirmed infections of the coronavirus had been recorded in the Caribbean island while having a death rate of over 2,500.