Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, speaks at a virtual press conference on Monday. (Photo: JIS)
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, has expressed concern at what he has described as “pop-up testing sites” for COVID-19 as reported in the media over the past several weeks.
Tufton, who was addressing a virtual press conference to update the country on the Government’s COVID-19 response on Monday, pointed to the “number of persons now offering (laboratory) tests of all types and using methods that, in some instances, are not validated, and charging fees too…that are astronomically high when compared to the cost of these test kits”.
The St Kitts Nevis Observer
(from left) Dunstan Bryan, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Health Minister Dr. Chris Tufton and Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, the chief medical officer
Jamaica’s health and wellness minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton announced that Jamaicans will begin getting vaccines from the COVAX Facility on April 21.
Dr Tufton made the announcement on Tuesday in parliament where he also tabled what he called the COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment and Vaccination Interim Plan. This plan details the national strategy for the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in Jamaica.
According to Tufton, healthcare workers, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, members of the Jamaica Defense Force, correctional officers, custom immigration officers, parliamentarians, persons in infirmaries and the elderly are at the top of the list to receive the jabs first.
Frederick “Toots” Hibbert and Gordon “Butch” Stewart.
Late reggae pioneer Frederick “Toots” Hibbert and business mogul Gordon “Butch” Stewart will be posthumously honoured with the Keys to the City of Kingston by the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Winston Ennis, said that the presentations will be made in February following the passage of the necessary resolutions.
“The City of Kingston has lost one of Jamaica’s greatest and most successful sons in Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart at the start of this year.
“The Administration intends to honour his memory and that of the late Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert by posthumously presenting both with the Keys to the City of Kingston,” he noted.