Disaster Risk Management Act

September 21, 2021 in Jamaica: The car that broke down, the toast that burnt, and the polls that flopped

September 22, 2021

With tropical storms pottering around in the Atlantic (two are called Peter and Rose, the names of our nephew and niece, respectively), it has been warm and muggy in Kingston. Clouds appear and do not bring rain. It has been a week of surprising developments – not least that of the toast to “No Movement … More September 21, 2021 in Jamaica: The car that broke down, the toast that burnt, and the polls that flopped

“Get di jook, man!” More vaccines have arrived in Kingston, Jamaica.

July 31, 2021

This afternoon, Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton tweeted footage of a British Airways plane taxiing on the runway at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston with 300,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Not only Minister Tufton, but Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith were there. The … More “Get di jook, man!” More vaccines have arrived in Kingston, Jamaica.

Another Jamaican COVID-19 “blitz” to get second doses done

June 4, 2021

The Ministry of Health and Wellness did incredibly well with a so-called “blitz” of vaccinations back in April, when they managed to get 75,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines into Jamaican arms within a few days, just before their expiry date. Now, the Ministry is at it again – for “second dose” people. My husband and … More Another Jamaican COVID-19 “blitz” to get second doses done

“The virus is spread when persons move”: Jamaica’s Curfew and other measures extended to March 1

February 24, 2021

The previous Order under the Disaster Risk Management Act expires today. With just a few hours’ notice, the Office of the Prime Minister has sent out the following press release. Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams gave a post-Cabinet press briefing today. Update on COVID-19 Measures under the Disaster Risk Management ActFebruary 24, … More “The virus is spread when persons move”: Jamaica’s Curfew and other measures extended to March 1

ICYMI in Jamaica: February 16, 2021: The Hanging In There Edition

February 17, 2021

The last two weeks have been busy (I skipped last week) and the weather is bright and breezy. However, as COVID-19 numbers have begun to really take off this month (an extended “spike”) the mood of cautious optimism in January seems to have evaporated – although we have had some lighter moments in the past … More ICYMI in Jamaica: February 16, 2021: The Hanging In There Edition

Jamaica Records 400+ New COVID-19 Cases in 24 Hours

February 9, 2021

This is grim news. We are waiting to hear what Prime Minister Andrew Holness says when he speaks to Parliament at 2:00 p.m. Jamaica time today. This will be broadcast live on the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) YouTube page, cable TV channel, and Facebook page. Health officials and aides will be doing a … More Jamaica Records 400+ New COVID-19 Cases in 24 Hours

Jamaica records highest number of COVID-19 cases

February 5, 2021

Our numbers have been high for the past week, but yesterday (February 4) stands alone with our highest number of new COVID-19 cases since the virus arrived in our island in March, 2020. Over the past seven days we have had 1,051 new cases (including yesterday’s). This is probably just the proverbial “tip of the … More Jamaica records highest number of COVID-19 cases

Update in Jamaican Parliament on Vaccines and COVID-19: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

February 4, 2021

Things seem to be happening rather rapidly this year, and it’s hard to keep up. In case any of us are confused or don’t have the current full picture on COVID-19 and the availability of vaccines, etc., I am sharing the text of Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton’s presentation in the House of … More Update in Jamaican Parliament on Vaccines and COVID-19: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

A COVID-19 Update from Jamaica: Manchester, Vaccines, Testing and More

January 26, 2021

This morning the Ministry of Health and Wellness held a press briefing. This was most welcome as we had not had one since January 2, and a lot has happened since then. So it was fairly long and time ran out before the Minister had got through all the questions (I am waiting for answers … More A COVID-19 Update from Jamaica: Manchester, Vaccines, Testing and More

ICYMI in Jamaica, December 15, 2020: The Vaccine Edition

December 16, 2020

The big news has been not only the COVID-19 vaccine, but the fact that the very first person to receive it was a Jamaican American. A cold front arrived, bringing strong winds and lower temperatures for a day; our moringa tree took a beating, and has not recovered yet. And behind everything else the crime … More ICYMI in Jamaica, December 15, 2020: The Vaccine Edition