Portmore mayor urges residents to use designated markets

Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas is calling for persons who are setting up unauthorised markets in residential areas in the municipality to desist as he says they are increasing the likelihood of persons contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19)

Thomas made the call after he says trucks were seen in sections of municipality selling market goods to large crowds, with many of the patrons not observing health and safety standards as outlined by the Ministry of Health and Health.

He says following a meeting with stakeholders, the Greater Portmore Football field, lands beside the Scout Association office in Edgewater, lands beside the Southborough Primary school, lands beside Captain Bakery near the Portmore Mall and the Hamilton Gardens football field were designated as areas for markets as they are adequate to allow for social distancing, crowd control and police presence.

“We decided against markets operating in communities as it would be easy for the police to control the crowds that would gather and persons could maintain social distancing. Before today, we rearranged parking for one major supermarkets - Joong, we demarked and sanitised areas where persons would occupy so person would shop in orderly fashion with some level of comfort,” Thomas said.

The Portmore mayor said that he was surprised and disappointed when he was called to several locations namely Passage Fort, Westchester and Bridgeport in South East St Catherine where large groups had gathered to buy agriculture produce.

Thomas is appealing to persons to use the designated market areas to conduct business as they are better controlled, demarcated, and are properly secured.

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