Tufton: Mu Variant Manageable Once Protocols are Observed

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, says the Mu variant of the COVID-19 virus will be manageable once the public health protocols that have been established and implemented by the Health Ministry and the Government are followed.

Speaking at the weekly virtual COVID Conversations press conference on Thursday, September 9, the Health Minister stated that the new variant of the virus has been confirmed in the island. He said that 26 cases of the variant were found from the testing of 92 samples.

Dr. Tufton advised Jamaicans not to panic, as he noted that the new strains of COVID-19 will enter Jamaica due to visitors coming to the island from around the world.

“While we have an obligation to announce, we are not announcing for you to panic, It is for you to be aware; it is not a failure of the system or the process,” the Minister noted.

He noted that the Mu variant will not result in more people dying or getting ill, as the variant is still being studied. Dr. Tufton however, emphasised the need for continuous vaccination, social distancing, and regular handwashing, sanitisation, and other protocols.

The Health Minister said the continued practice of the health protocols will aid in building the country’s capacity to resist the virus as we restore some form semblance of normality. Meanwhile, Dr. Tufton noted that the current lockdown which is has been in effect since September 5 and ends on September 17 has been showing great results, as the positivity rates and the reproduction rates going down.

“That is reason to be hopeful because the logical follow-on will allow us the opportunity to begin to restore some sort of normality because we understand the sacrifice that the country is making,” he said.

Minister Tufton noted that the Ministry is confident in the process and their response to the pandemic. He added that the team spends a significant amount of time planning, forecasting, and preparing for all the elements of the pandemic.