CAPRI: The Poorest Are the Worst Affected By COVID-19

According to a recent study conducted by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute CAPRI – on the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities some of which were under quarantine.

Fifty-seven percent of Jamaican households saw a reduction in income between the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March and September 2020, and over half a million people sought government financial aid.

The findings show that curfews imposed to restrict movement along with other measures taken to reduce the spread of the virus, brought on hardship to many and the poorest are the worst affected.

The study entitled “Locked Down, Locked Out” surveyed a total of fifteen hundred residents living in vulnerable communities, 13 of which are in the urban region and 11 rural, across 8 parishes.

Remittances in these low-income communities also decreased, as 27 percent over a quarter received fifty U.S or less per month.

The findings of the study also indicated that several Jamaicans were not eligible for the government’s care programmes.

Just over 1 in four persons in vulnerable communities received financial assistance from the government.

An unexpected finding, of the 33 disabled respondents in the sample, none were members of the Jamaica Council for Disabilities, therefore they did not receive the automatic $10-thousand compassionate grant.

Among the recommendations being made are to use local community experts to target the undocumented and poor in pandemics and other emergencies.

The survey was administered over eight weeks, in July and August 2020.

More in this CVM Live report from Robian Williams: