NEW CASES
There are now sixty-three (63) confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jamaica. The four (4) new additions from Kingston & St. Andrew are:
- A 30-year-old male;
- A 26-year-old female;
- A 26-year-old male; and
- A 48-year-old female.
The new cases – all of whom are contacts of a confirmed case from Kingston and St Andrew – bring to 30 the number of imported cases, 22 the number of import-related cases and 11 the number of cases under investigation.
- The average age of the confirmed patients is 49 years – ranging from a minimum age of 12 to a maximum of 87 years. The median age is 50.
- Of the 63 confirmed cases, twenty-nine (29) are females and thirty-four (34) are males.
- Three (3) patients have died while nine (9) have fully recovered.
TRAVELLERS STATUS
In the last few days, we have seen a significant increase in the number of Jamaicans who have reported in to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
- An estimated 7,000 persons came into the island between March 18 and March 24.
- 1,500 of that number left the country.
- Up to the end of last Friday, approximately 1,000 persons had reported into the Ministry.
- Over the last three days, some 3,500 persons have reported in to the Ministry.
- Tracking of the remaining 1,000 or so persons is ongoing. We encourage those individuals to self-report.
NEW INITIATIVES
Public Private Partnership
- The Ministry is proud to officially launch the new Public Private Partnership to manage the care of persons with co-morbid conditions, including diabetes and chronic hypertension, who utilize the public health system.
- The goal is to reduce the number of persons who have to come into our clinics, thus helping to alleviate the demand on the public health system as we ready for a COVID-19 surge.
- It means that those persons who have been identified as controlled patients will be now outsourced to private practitioners so that they can get their medication and any required care.
- The Expression of Interest is now launched and they should go to the Ministry’s website to indicate their interest.
Authorised Field Hospital
- Cabinet has approved the use of the National Arena as a field hospital that can cater to up to 130 people.
- We have started the work to retrofit that facility, complete with 72 beds, monitors and other equipment. That work is being spearheaded by the Jamaica Defence Force.
- We are currently in the process of sensitizing staff, including on the subject of task shifting, if or when the need arises.
- The goal is to have only those who ae mildly affected by COVID-19 to be treated at that facility.
- We anticipate that the facility will be up and ready in the coming weeks.
- It is to take a budget of some 183 Million Jamaican Dollars, including the cost of personal protective equipment.
- Online Portal
The Ministry has now launched its COVID-19 Quarantine Portal, which can be accessed at quarantine.moh.gov.jm. The portal provides individuals the chance to do a COVID-19 Self-Assessment and employers the opportunity to fact check the quarantine status of their employees.
PARTNERSHIPS
N-95 Donation
- 100,000 N-95 masks are being donated to the Medical Association of Jamaica to outfit our private practitioners, who we need to keep their doors open, as part of the national COVI-19 national response efforts.
- We recognise that there is a supply side shortage and have therefore opted to invest US 2.2 Million Dollars to make this possible, in the public health interest.
Call Centres & Medical Students
- We wish to formally welcome the 80 medical students who are now manning the MOHW Call Centre to the joint effort to #Beat COVID-19 in Jamaica.
- Their addition to the team means that we are in a position to better respond to the needs of the people of Jamaica.
Andrews Memorial
- The Ministry is proud to announce that we now have a formal agreement with Andrews Memorial Hospital. That hospital will now serve as an Overflow Ward for the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).
- KPH has allocated 32 beds on one ward for the Management of COVID-19 patients. Another ward has been reassigned to manage Severe Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases. This has reduced the bed capacity of the Internal Medicine Department from eight (8) wards to six (6).
- The additional beds at Andrews will be used for the management of non-COVID-19 medical patients who require in-patient care. This will reduce the overcrowding on the Medical Ward of the KPH.