As Jamaica braces for a possible fourth wave of COVID-19, the Health Ministry has confirmed that a case of the omicron variant has been detected in a traveler from the United Kingdom who had a short stay at a local resort.
According to Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, this particular individual could have interacted sufficiently to infect or contaminate others.
He says this conclusion is not to raise an unnecessary alarm but to place citizens on their guard, especially during the yuletide season. Dr. Tufton, while highlighting that the vaccination numbers are relatively low, suggests that it remains an important response.
National Epidemiologist Dr. Karen Webster-Kerr sought to explain the vaccines’ effectiveness against the omicron variant.
As it relates to the clinical severity, Dr. Webster-Kerr notes that omicron’s increase transmissibility will lead to more hospitalizations.
