20 COVID-19 Hotspot Communities Listed By MOH

There are twenty 20 COVID-19 hotspot communities across the island driving up the country’s COVID-19 figures. The Ministry of Health has listed Irwin and Bogue in St James and Rae Town in Kingston as having the top three worrying COVID-19 cases.

In Rae Town, of the 25 cases, 20 are active. National Epidemiologist Dr. Karen Webster Kerr says the size of the population and communities were taken into consideration. 

“ Rae Town and Longsville Park have the same number of active cases per population but it would be more concerning for Rae Town that has 20 active cases versus 8 active cases,” Dr. Webster Kerr stated.

Salt Spring in St. James and Old Harbour in St. Catherine were also listed among the COVID-19 hotspots that the Ministry of Health says it is closely monitoring.

Further down on the list are Waterford, in Portmore St. Catherine and Whitfield Town in St. Andrew. Both communities were placed on an extended curfew October 6 after recording an alarming number of cases. Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton during a tour of the communities on Wednesday, October 14, said the Ministry will be placing more communities under similar orders soon.

As of October 14,  thirty-five additional COVID-19 cases were found in the communities. 

“Where other communities have spikes based on the numbers and we are now mapping around three or four other communities that are likely to be in similar situations such as these,” the Minister said.

The Minister further stated that, “we will go into the area, we will trigger through cabinet decision the quarantine arrangements and we will seek to cauterize the spread or further spread.”

CVM LIVE‘s Jamaila Maitland reports: