Ban Removal of New Admissions to Infirmaries Being Reviewed

Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, says there has been deliberation on removing the absolute ban on new admissions to infirmaries across the island.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 26, Prime Minister Holness, noted that the moratorium on new admissions to infirmaries, which was put in place as part of measures to control the spread of the COVID-19, has not eased the demand for their services.

This will be implemented with a structure of protocols that will be announced after discussions between the Ministries of Health and Wellness, and Local Government and Rural Development.

“There is now a waiting list comprising over 200 potential residents who are seeking admission to the infirmaries, so something has to be done. This is part of when we say we are moving into the endemic phase and we have to stop treating COVID as a project and we will now have to mainstream and we will now have to live with it,” Mr. Holness said.

Holness notes that the nation’s vulnerable citizens, especially the elderly, who benefit through the network of infirmaries in the Local Government system have been prioritized for protection before and since the start of the pandemic.

He sought to explain these protections such as a wide range of health protocols that cover the activities of the citizens and the service providers with whom they interact, as well as the prohibition of visits by residents’ families since 2020.

Mr. Holness emphasized that the Government does not wish to maintain this prohibition for much longer. Noting that it has been in effect for nearly 17 months, and that the government understands the emotional toll that this is taking, both on the residents of the infirmaries and their families who would like to see them.