The entire communities of Seven Miles and Eight Miles in Bull Bay on the St Andrew/St Thomas border have been placed under quarantine, initially for two weeks, as Jamaica ramps up efforts to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The development came as Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the entire island a disaster area. He made the announcement during a press conference at Jamaica House on Friday evening.
Members of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force have been deployed to the area to restrict movement into and out of the communities.
There are eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jamaica including ‘patient zero’, the first confirmed case on the island, who spent time in the Bull Bay communities.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie, said contact tracing in the area has revealed that the first confirmed case came in contact with at least 30 persons. Eight of these individuals are now symptomatic.
More details to follow
