March 10- One Year Of COVID-19 In Jamaica

One Year Of COVID-19: A mysterious virus emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019. As the cases grew, the situation was not reported.

However, travelers were moving with the virus outside of China, entering countries via land, air and sea.

The World Health Organization (WHO) later announced the emergence of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. By March 10, 2020, the virus entered Jamaica by air, patient zero located in Bull Bay, St. Andrew having traveled from the United Kingdom.

That was the beginning of the health crisis. Paralyzed by fear of the unknown, Jamaicans rushed to stock up. Then, came curfews, lock downs, quarantine,  physical learning- abandoned, economic turmoil, livelihoods destroyed and the tourism industry shattered.

In Corn Piece Settlement, Hayes, Clarendon a 79-year-old man was the first victim of the novel coronavirus on March 18.

Additionally, Jamaica’s patient five was the first to recover from the virus. Mask wearing became mandatory and gatherings became illegal.

Fast forward to  March 10, 2021- 27,465 cases and 460 deaths later, and Jamaica vaccinated its first citizen at the good Samaritan Inn in Kingston.

In Clarendon, CEO of the May Pen Hospital, St. Andrade Sinclair was the first at the hospital to take the jab of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

But as Jamaica clings to new hopes and gets a glimpse of brighter days, the COVID-19 case count continues to surge exponentially.