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Holness says schools will remain open

Published:Tuesday | March 10, 2020 | 5:25 PM
Prime Minister Andrew Holness speaking at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew on March 10, 2020 - Gladstone Taylor photo

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says public schools will remain open until the government decides otherwise amid the country’s first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19

Holness made the announcement during a presentation at the Office of the Prime Minister this afternoon, hours after the first imported case was confirmed.

READ: Jamaica records first imported coronavirus case, now what?

“As it relates to schools, we have made financial provisions recently announced by Minister [Karl] Samuda for schools to acquire hand sanitation products as schools will continue to be open unless the government of Jamaica directs otherwise,” Holness said.

Last week, Samuda, the minister without portfolio with responsibility at the Education Ministry, said that schools would be allocated $30,000 - $50,000 to procure soaps and hand sanitisers.

Since the virus was discovered in Wuhan, China, last December, there have been more than 118,000 confirmed cases with more than 4,200 people dying as a result of contracting the virus.

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