Commentary

As the Government responds to the rapidly spreading coronavirus, it has sensibly ordered the closure of schools, which means thousands of children are expected to continue their education at home. The concepts of distance teaching, remote learning...

“A hospital is no place to be sick”. This is an oxymoron or figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect, for example “cruel kindness,” “living death”, “police intelligence”, “jumbo shrimp” or something supposedly...

Last Wednesday, China reported a full day with no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases for the first time since the pandemic began last December. This gives tremendous hope, showing that there are things Jamaica can do to beat the COVID-19...

Last week, I made the point that preventing the ‘coronasation’ of Jamaica requires a firm hand, the will to enforce and endure the bitter medicine to come, and political solidarity. Alas, despite the efforts of our Government to contain the spread...

A few days ago, there was a report that some taxi drivers refused taking nurses (as their clients) to work, for fear of exposure to these nurses as carriers of COVID-19. This is short-sighted because these nurses might be needed to attend to them...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a communicable illness declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), has highlighted the interconnectivity of the world through globalisation. Its impact on national and global economies...

While acknowledging that Jamaica’s economy, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, is “heading for challenging times”, Nigel Clarke, the finance minister, is confident that the island is in a better position than it has been for decades “to respond...

Rumour has it that Jamaicans are some of the happiest people in the world. Despite overwhelming crime statistics and a strong corruption perception that affect virtually every sector of the country, Jamaicans seem to always be laughing or making...

A March 15 New York Times article by Max Fisher and Emma Bubola ‘Coronavirus deepens inequality, inequality worsens its spread’ confirmed what I had already suspected: the coronavirus has a mutual reinforcing cycle with economic and social...

By the time he had got to the all-important pages five, six and seven of his text last Tuesday, most of Dr Nigel Clarke’s colleagues were deep into their phones, private chats or postprandial snoozes. Their attention span had lasted through his...

As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, many questions are being asked about its origin, spread and consequences. Hopefully, the following information will be of value. The name ‘coronavirus’ is derived from the Latin word corona, which means ‘crown...

The COVID-19 global health crisis, recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), has led to severe disruptions in the usual pattern of life around the world. These disruptions will no doubt depress economic activity and...