Caribbean News
Jamaican Govt quarantines communities in St. Mary due to COVID-19 due to spike in positives
#Jamaica – May 7, 2020 — The Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the National Emergency Operating Centre at the ODPEM has reviewed the situation in St. Mary this morning.
In consultation with the Local Health Authority, North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA), a Quarantine of areas in the parish of St. Mary comprising Dover, Enfield and Annotto Bay (the Communities) (as specifically identified below) for 14 days will take effect from Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 6:00 AM to Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
The following are the key points to note:
There are a total of 13 persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Communities and our investigations show that there is considerable movement of the affected persons which has increased the risk of exposure to the all persons in the Communities.
Exposed persons in the Communities may develop infection and cause spread to other members in the Communities resulting in a rapid increase in the numbers of positive cases. This is due, in the main to the high movement of persons within the affected households within the Communities; the high population density of two of the Communities identified and the high vulnerability of persons within the Communities to severe illness due to age, comorbidities and other socio-economic factors.
The quarantine of the Communities is to restrict movement of members of the Communities to slow or prevent new exposures and hence new infections by:
(1) Further testing of members of the Communities;
(2) Close monitoring of members of the Communities for development of symptoms;
(3) Early containment of newly detected cases;
(4) Prevention of new exposures and transmission of disease; and
(5) Education of members of the Communities of Infection Prevention and Control measures.
Boundaries for the Quarantine are outlined below:
| ANNOTTO BAY QUARANTINE AREA (PART OF ANNOTTO BAY) – The area of interest spans 0.13 Sq. km and is bounded by a 1.72 km perimeter. | |
| EAST | The boundary will run from its start point at the Pencar River Bridge (Top Bay) and head in a northerly direction along the western edge of the Pencar River towards the coastline. |
| NORTH | It will then run in a westerly direction along the coastline for approximately 0.8 km to a point where a stream from the Pencar River enters the sea (Bottom Bay). |
| WEST | The boundary will continue in a southerly direction along the stream to the bridge at Bottom Bay. |
| SOUTH | The boundary will then run in an easterly direction along the Annotto Bay to Portland Main Road to the start point at the Pencar River Bridge (Top Bay). |
| ITER BOREALE QUARANTINE AREA – The area of interest spans 1.1 Sq. Km and is bounded by a 4.31 km perimeter. | |
| EAST | The boundary will run from its start point along the Enfield Main Road at its junction with a minor road approximately 150m south of the North Coast Highway, in a northerly direction towards the coast for a distance of 0.53 km. |
| NORTH | It will then run in a westerly direction along the coast for 1.64 km. |
| WEST | The boundary will then continue in a south-westerly direction for a distance of approximately Two Hundred and Thirty (230m) to a point south of the North Coast Highway. |
| SOUTH | The boundary will then run in an easterly direction along the southern outskirts of the community to the start point along the Enfield Main Road. |
| JUNO PEN (PART OF ENFIELD)– The area of interest spans 0.47 Sq. km and is bounded by a 2.24 km perimeter. | |
| EAST | The boundary will run from a point along the Enfield Main Road 0.23 km north of the Juno Pen Bridge east for Forty Meters (40m), then in a northwesterly direction for a distance 1.33 km. |
| NORTH | It will then run in a westerly direction for approximately 0.37 km across the Enfield Main Road to an open lot west of the said road. |
| WEST | The boundary will then continue in a southeasterly direction for a distance of approximately 1.42 km to a point west of the starting point. |
| SOUTH | The boundary will then continue in an easterly direction to the start point at the Enfield Main Road. |
| EPSOM/DOVER QUARANTINE AREA – The area of interest spans 0.83 Sq. Km and is bounded by a 5.34 km perimeter. | |
| EAST | The boundary will run from its start point where the Dover to Portland Main Road intersects with the Parish Boundary, in a northerly direction along the Parish Boundary, for a distance of 0.23 km. |
| NORTH | It will then run in a westerly direction for approximately 2.29 km to the north-western boundary of a property north of the Dover to Portland Main Road. |
| WEST | The boundary will then continue in a southerly direction across the Dover to Portland Main Road for a distance of approximately 0.34 km. |
| SOUTH | The boundary will then continue along an imaginary line along the southern outskirts of the community to the dry gully south of the start point, and then in a northerly direction to the start point. |