Health Ministry says country should brace for mosquito increase

The Health Ministry is warning Jamaicans to brace for an increase in the mosquito population in the next two weeks.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Winston De La Haye says the health ministry continues to fog high risk communities like Portmore in an effort to reduce the Aedes aegypti mosquito which spread the Zika virus.

IN PHOTO: Dr Winston De La Haye

He is urging Jamaicans to start destroying containers in their surroundings that may have collected water during the passage of Hurricane Matthew and could become mosquito breeding sites.

Dr De La Haye says despite appeals for persons to destroy mosquito breeding sites and properly store water in homes, the health ministry continues to find a number of these sites where people live.

He has renewed earlier sentiments by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton that the ministry may have to impose a fine on persons who disobey repeated warnings to destroy mosquito breeding sites in their surroundings.