Carolyn Cooper | Whole a Jamaica haffi lock down one time

CHACKA-CHACKA SPELIN

It no mek nuh sense fi lock down di country lickle-lickle. Look wa happen last week wen Govament gi notice seh St Catherine ha fi lock down fi one week! People start run weh like seh dem a Maroon eena slavery time. An eena dem ya time, wid highway all bout, nuh weh no far again. Di fool-fool people dem weh run weh go a Hanover an St Thomas get ketch. Dem mussi did tink seh dem coulda hide up eena ‘country’. Nuh country no deh. Di whole a Jamaica a one big town.

Andrew Holness an im advisor dem never know seh di St Catherine people dem woulda try run weh? Di ongle ting woulda stop dem a if di whole a Jamaica did lock down. Dem woulda ha fi tan a dem yaad. Holness a gwaan like seh im no know who im a deal wid. An im born an grow a St Catherine.

Mi know seh Govament a try dem best fi stop coronavirus from spread. Dem can do better. Dem fi send out warning eena fi wi Jamaican language fi mek sure di whole a wi andastan wa a gwaan. Next ting, Govament ha fi stop form fool a gwaan like seh di one an few people weh test an have di virus, dem a di ongle one eena di whole country weh got it. Nutten nuh go so.

TEK SLEEP MARK DEATH

Nuff smaddy a fool up demself a tink seh a ongle bout 150 a wi eena Jamaica ketch coronavirus. A dat mek dem a tek it so light. It look like seh Govament no waan frighten wi, so dem ongle a talk bout “confirmed cases”. Wa bout di rest a wi weh no test? It better wi know wa a gwaan fi true. Wa a go happen if wi wake up one morning an find out seh a nuh 143 case? A 14,300! Wa wi a go do dat deh time? It a go too late.

Last week Tuesday, Holness keep press conference a Jamaica House. Hear weh im seh, ascorden to Gleaner: “Holness argued that with 33 positive tests from the call centre, ‘you can use your own imagination to figure out how many persons have been contacted, the areas that people would have travelled to, and the potential spread that can come from that’.

‘Technically, you could be ­looking at as many as 1,000 persons contacted in close proximity,’ he explained.”

Mi a use fi mi imagination an mi a wonder weh mek Holness stop a 1,000. An if a even 1,000, dat deh 1,000 smaddy a go touch nuff more. A so di wicked virus spread pon rapid. An Govament no have nuff test fi a test di whole a wi. Holness an im people dem better use fi dem imagination an try figure out quick-quick how much a wi have di virus fi true. Wen dem do dat, dem wi know seh a time fi lock down di whole country. Wi ha fi tek sleep mark death.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

It no mek no sens fi lak dong di koncrhi likl-likl. Luk wa apn laas wiik wen Govament gi nuotis se St Catherine a fi lak dong fi wan wiik! Piipl staat ron we laik se dem a Maruun iina slievri taim. An iina dem ya taim, wid aiwie aal bout, no we no faar agen. Di fuul-fuul piipl dem we ron we go a Hanover an St Thomas get kech. Dem mosi did tingk se dem kuda aid op iina ‘konchri’. No konchri no de. Di uol a Jamieka a wan big toun.

Andrew Holness an im advaiza dem neva nuo se di St Catherine piipl dem wuda chrai ron we? Di ongl ting wuda stap dem a if di uol a Jamieka did lak dong. Dem wuda a fi tan a dem yaad. Holness a gwaan laik se im no nuo uu im a diil wid. An im baan an gruo a St Catherine.

Mi nuo se Govament a chrai dem bes fi stap karuonavairos fram spred. Dem kyahn du beta. Dem fi sen out waanin iina fi wi Jamiekan langgwij fi mek shuor di uol a wi andastan wa a gwaan. Neks ting, Govament a fi stap faam fuul a gwaan laik se di wan an fyuu piipl we tes an av di vairos, dem a di ongl wan iina di uol konchri we gat it. Notn no go so.

TEK SLIIP MAAK DET

Nof smadi a fuul op demself a tingk se a ongl bout 150 a wi iina Jamieka kech koruonavairos. A dat mek dem a tek it so lait. It luk laik se Govament no waahn fraitn wi, so dem ongl a taak bout “confirmed cases”. Wa bout di res a wi we no tes? It beta wi nuo wa a gwaan fi chruu. Wa a go apn if wi wiek op wan maanin an fain out se a no 143 kies? A 14,300! Wa wi a go du dat de taim? It a go tuu liet.

Laas wiik Chuusde, Holness kip pres kanfrens a Jamaica House. Ier we im se, azkaadn tu Gleaner: “Holness argued that with 33 positive tests from the call centre, ‘you can use your own imagination to figure out how many persons have been contacted, the areas that people would have travelled to, and the potential spread that can come from that’.

‘Technically, you could be ­looking at as many as 1,000 persons contacted in close proximity,’ he explained.”

Mi a yuuz fi mi imajinieshan an mi a wanda we mek Holness stap a 1,000. An if a iivn 1,000, dat de 1,000 smadi a go toch nof muor. A so di wikid vairos spred pan rapid. An Govament no av nof tes fi a tes di uol a wi. Holness an im piipl dem beta yuuz fi dem imajinieshan an chrai figa out kwik-kwik omoch a wi av di vairos fi chruu. Wen dem du dat, dem wi nuo se a taim fi lak dong di uol konchri. Wi a fi tek sliip maak det.

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com