No need for COVID lockdown speculations – Tufton

A meeting between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton on Monday has fuelled speculations that Jamaica is headed for a lockdown, but Tufton has assured that for now, the focus is on enforcing existing protocols and accessing the vaccines to deal with the rising COVID-19 cases.  

Tufton, who has taken note of the social-media frenzy regarding the talks, said he has regular meetings with the prime minister to discuss plans surrounding the management of the pandemic.

He noted that the meeting was attended by other stakeholders.  

“I am not sure why a lot of hype was created around that meeting,” he told The Gleaner, before adding that Holness wanted to know more about the vaccine plan.  

Jamaica is expected to receive between 146,400 and 249,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines through the COVAX facility later this month to vaccinate approximately 125,000 Jamaicans.

The Government is also currently engaged in bilateral talks with other countries to receive additional supplies of vaccines.

The aim is to vaccinate some 440,000 persons by the end of the year.

“It was a good meeting. We had extensive conversations; we looked at some of the challenges that we are now facing, associated with the surge and some of the approaches that might need to be adjusted to dealing with that, as well as, as I said, the arrangement around vaccine and access,” Tufton said. 

The country had a record 468 COVID-19 cases on Monday. 

On Tuesday, the number of new cases dipped to 243 and three deaths were recorded, with an additional five being probed.  

Jamaica currently has a total of 20,016 cases, of which 6,696 are active.  

Tufton said the anxiety surrounding the surge in cases is understandable; however, he pointed to the numbers being a manifestation of the reality that the COVOD-19 protocols are not being followed.  

He said for now, the focus is on enforcement, messaging, and managing hospitalisations to deal with the community spread.  

As it relates to a possible lockdown if things get worse, he had this to say: 

“If that is a consideration, I am sure the country will be informed at the appropriate time, but right now, the protocols are very clear and they have not changed. They come up for review in another week.”

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