it's Friday July 10 good afternoon I'm
Herman green with a midday news a
special welcome to those of you watching
online at one spot media.com testing at
the airports for kovat 19 will no longer
be a routine for persons arriving in
Jamaica the policy change was announced
by the chief medical officer at The Cove
in nineteen press briefing yesterday -
and Hendricks has the details
chief medical officer dr. Jackie Lee
mrs. Mackenzie announcing a new policy
when it comes to testing persons
arriving in the island we are moving
away from testing persons at the airport
when they come in the CMO says that the
policy change is being driven by two
factors not enough human resources to
test everyone coming in each day as well
as challenges being faced to secure
testing supplies as a KO bida 19 cases
grow across the world now that we have
reached this point in the epidemic in
Jamaica it becomes even more important
for us to be able to test persons that
have symptoms within country and not so
much to focus on persons that are
without symptoms that are coming in at
our airports she said in the early
stages of testing everyone arriving
through the airports a very few of the
positive cases assured
symptoms of having Kovan 19 plus the
small number of arrivals made it easier
to test everyone at the present time we
have results that are backing up to 2
weeks probably a little bit more than 2
weeks and if we continue to test at the
rate that we're testing then that
backlog will increase the minister
himself weighing in on the matter said
he's heard appeals for private labs to
be used to help clear the backlog
private labs as it relates to corvid do
not have the equipment do not have the
accreditation and do not have the
training to either collect the samples
or to test and so it is not that we want
to do everything in the public space at
a university or at a national public
health club it is because we are the
only ones that are
to do it but with the policy change this
appeal to those who arrived recently and
those who will be arriving in Jamaica
going forward remain at home for the 14
days quarantine period and if they do
develop symptoms that they get in touch
with the health department as quickly as
possible but mrs. mrs. Mackenzie says
that the policy change will not be done
jessica lee some form of testing will
continue at least in the near future
some of the flights in order for us to
get an idea if there are positive cases
that are that continue to come into the
island
Darin Hendricks TVJ news meanwhile Kovac
19 stigmatization has reached troubling
proportions with one community being
blacklisted by employers that revelation
was made at the st. James Municipal
Corporation meeting on Thursday general
oppress news tells us more
acting medical officer of health force n
James dr. Francine Phillips Kelly
describes as unfortunate acts of stigma
against residents of Norwood she told
the Municipal Corporation meeting
Thursday that the entire community is
being shunned by citizens from other
areas in the parish here's why it was
not a situation where all members of the
community or many members of the
community had been infected it just so
happened that there was a family one
single family and several members of
their own family had been affected the
meeting was told that some employers are
not hiring people from the area and
where there are staff who are from the
community there have been instances in
which they've been sent home
some taxi operators are also reportedly
refusing to carry passengers from
Norwood it was never that there was a
community locked on for example we did
surveillance of homes within a specified
area around the single dwelling where
the family had inhabited for the period
of time
and I'm very happy to say that we did
not I repeat did not have community
spread at all okay so we were able to
contain it all of the members have since
gotten well most of the family there
about only two three other persons who
have not gone through to the recovery
period of their illness so all other
members the the first set of persons
that we had tested they are recovered
and they are fine the meeting was also
told that Health Minister dr.
Christopher Tufton and a team from the
ministry are expected to visit the
community on Friday meanwhile a
suggestion for the Health Ministry to
increase its public education campaign
on the coronavirus there should be some
way of opening your PR department to
send out these messages whether you do a
town crier whatever social media
whatever print media but this is
something that it is creating a problem
out there
janella press use tv2 news meanwhile the
st. James Public Health Department says
a major recruitment exercise is now
underway for community health aides they
will be responsible for errors in public
health
other than coronavirus never in the
history of Jamaica has this large
numbers of community workers been
engaged the parish of st. James will be
recruits in a hundred and seven of such
workers these workers will be bolstering
our primary health care services as well
as our environmental health services you
will see persons been placed in various
communities that were not
usually reached by the rest of the teens
talking about elderly children and
although disapprove disproportionate
members of communities and still from
the st. James Municipal Corporation
meeting Montego Bay mayor blasted PMP
councilors for not defending the
integrity of the cooperation following
statements made by PNP President dr.
Peter Phillips at a meeting in the
parish last Sunday dr. Phillips
suggested JLP led counselors were
systematically weak and corrupt here's
how it all played out at yesterday's
meeting counselor for the Montego Bay
North Division chancing clear would have
the first go he read from a statement
from the People's National Party about
the st. James Municipal Corporation
particularly the decision to sack to PNP
councillors who breached local
government regulations we don't believe
that there's any basis for the action
and the net effect is to be in the
accountability structures of local
government in its engines municipal
cooperation yet they say they believe in
transparency and democracy mr. Sinclair
says he with checks the assertions made
by the PNP president you have the
external bodies the contractor general
and other such external but is that cool
municipal corporations accountable of
the procurement committee work so the
accountable what's up what structure has
this ancient Municipal Corporation saw
to tear apart to know the covers from
this ingenious
Montego Bay mayor Houma Davis defended
the integrity of the corporation and
blasted the two P&V councillors for not
doing the same at Sunday's meeting
consular Kerry Thomas
offered this suggestion I think his
comments were
general and not specific to any
particular points but at the same time
let us put it against the backdrop of
what is happening the center Municipal
Corporation no no you cannot no no I
won't no no concert hours I want you to
include anywhere we are in st. James let
us deal with st. James you have been
here for four years we have been a part
of the team mr. chairman if anything
this sometimes cost Mesa members on
troop too much the Minority Leader
Michael troupe would also have a say
take him on cords or shade masters TPJ
News and Portland is reporting I don't
want rend in the number of Cove in
nineteen cases in that parish that's
according to medical officer for health
for Portland doctor Sharon Lewis
she says tests for Cove in nineteen are
targeted at persons displaying
respiratory symptoms dr. Lewis is
appealing to residents to obey the
guidelines in place to contain the
spread of the virus testing is no more
targeted at persons with symptoms of
respiratory infections and persons who
are admitted to hospital and are deemed
to be at high risk for kovat ninety
infection and or its complications if we
are informed of persons within or perish
who are contacts to confirm the cases
testing of those persons would also be
prioritized I wish to use this
opportunity to encourage all clients to
abide by the instructions to wear masks
and to observe physical distancing when
at our health facilities while most
persons have been compliant several
persons have been uncooperative we
therefore urge these persons to comply
in order to protect their own health and
the health of others in the meantime the
medical officer is reporting a reduction
in dengue cases in the parish four to
six suspected dengue fever cases were in
to the Portland Health Department for
2020 and this compares to 232 which were
reported for the same period last year
and so we know we have a eighty point
two percent reduction in the number of
cases being reported for the first six
months of the year some sixty temporary
workers employed to the Portland Health
Department also had their contracts
extended for three months the new end
date for their contracts is November
twenty twenty and chairman of the same
Mira Municipal Corporation Richard query
is this afternoon clarifying comments
made about him in an integrity
Commission report on Petrich am the
director of investigations in the
initial report had stated that Mister
query was present for the interview of
the former general manager of the
state-owned oil refinery Petra jam for
Floyd Grindley that point mr. query has
denied in numerous time since the report
was released he says based on the report
some answers are needed from the
Commission so one has the question was
it at a conclusion was form and this and
the fact that you formed a conclusion
you needed the facts to uphold a cont
that conclusion
he says the report has not only damaged
his personal reputation but that of a
Municipal Corporation he chairs as well
as people then started to wonder if this
person was so corrupt his head in the
corporation and he must be heading our
for cooperation and we now take a break
here on the midday news but stay with us
more news when we return
welcome back were continuing the news
counselor for the papen division Venetia
Phillips says there needs to be greater
assessment of the social intervention
programs that were implemented in August
on st. Andrew over the years all Gaston
has benefited from a myriad of social
intervention programs but the National
Security Minister has questioned the
effectiveness of those programs miss
Phillips says effectiveness cannot be
measured without some kind of assessment
in terms of Damona social services the
target of their intervention program was
definitely not the fighters while PMA
engaged the fighters there was no
structure to a program so we cannot
really say that we've had a structured
program that targeted the gang members
we have had interventions she says as
counselor for the area she has also
attempted to implement programs if I
were to measure certainly what the
efforts I would have put in there I
would have said it didn't work in the
main they didn't because you when you
came from the place that it was
unemployment and hopelessness you sat
with them because the idea was not for
you to come and tell them what to do but
to ask them what it was that they wanted
to do some of them wanted to be animal
farmers so they wanted pigs they wanted
good and other stuff you and chickens
you gave those to them I think of all
the lots who got those maybe just two
still are into farming but that has not
taken them off the corners all Gaston
was this week declared as zone of
special operations meanwhile mediation
and intervention specialists at the
peace management initiative p.m. i
milton Tomlinson says it is important
that programs implemented in communities
like all Gaston be sustained in 2016
there were no murders in the community
many times we go into communities on
treat with the community like projects
understand
I mean you will even a gently Sapporo
ever until what we know tonight you have
until December to spend this money to do
this to do that and they spend all the
time preparing and in October I November
in the money starts bad you know with no
real focus on moving the community so to
speed what happened is that people focus
and this is mine what obviously people
focus I'm writing my report I get my
mind what I was a total I get it done
what are the energy you get it done
where is the community at that point and
there are concerns this afternoon from a
resident in August own about the
possibility of being detained
despite not being involved in criminal
activities anthony log has that story
news of the declaration of a zone of
special operations is also in august own
on wednesday was welcomed by most of
residents in the community fear has been
growing as rival gangs trade bullets in
the area giving residents sleepless
nights more time in our my biggest are
melting and the truth as near as we did
machine will not please the security
forces have taken note of that
information head of operations for area
for police division Senior
Superintendent Steve McGregor insists
targeted operations will be carried out
and issued this morning
my advice those who are thinking of
doing anything criminal unlawful illegal
in this space we're here to make that
difference so it is better that you
reach out to work with the security
forces change your bad ways and come on
board if you don't do that you're going
to be taken in custody while ssp
McGregor may at that point at least one
resident is concerned that innocent
persons could be detained while the
police
carry out those operations moderator
time innocent get caught up into it and
you imagine you have to go to the earth
of your kids at home police come pick
you an accusing wrongfully at their
elegant money you know I saw what a
mother feel me and also never been
charged never wall up on his life all
his life ought to be upliftment city
self community ought to be a pitch and
for America and it justice the police
coming to a source let no one does take
away his own answer oh man move away
from here what is very disrespectful we
are going to be reaching out to the
citizens we are going to be working with
you and at the same time we'll be
looking for guns and ammunition we're
looking for wanted men will be
dismantling all of the young bees here
anything illegal will be purging the
community of that to make it safe for
law-abiding citizens to abide within
this space meanwhile an appeal is being
made for residents to abide by
instructions given by the security
forces for the clear phase of this
operation we will be operating with the
disaster preparedness curfew time you
have will be asking you will be see
insisting upon you to be off the streets
by 8:00 p.m. for the clear face when we
move out of the clear face we relax that
curfew period and you will have a longer
time period for 8 min your business
places and to be on the streets are
these criminals are related friends
members and that this way gone but they
are about to the same school they meet
the group and get all themselves
I make all the storm the August one
again I'm Tony look TVJ news two men
were found shot dead in white house
Negro in Westmoreland yesterday they
have been identified as 28 year old
Dwight Smith otherwise called Suevi of a
Whitehall address and 24 year old Justin
Williams otherwise called LG of Good
Hope address both men were window makers
it's reported that about seven o clock
some residents of Whitehall reported
hearing explosions and called the police
the bodies of a man were found beside a
white Suzuki access motorcycle Abraham
Lawrence the mentally ill man who
languished in prison for more than 20
years was today free
when he appeared before the st.
Elizabeth Parish Court the 49 year old
who had been granted bail last week
Friday was freed after the court Clark
look after the clerk of court made a no
order application presiding senior
parish judge and Murray Lawrence Granger
in accepting the application encouraged
mr. Lawrence's brother to ensure that he
receives a necessary follow-up treatment
and counseling now mr. Lawrence was
represented in court by a Shane Morgan
plans are underway to redirect the
tourism sector to better support local
farmers who sell in the industry tourism
minister Edmond Bartlett made the
revelation while speaking at a Rotary
Club of East Kingston meeting mr.
Bartlett says the changes will include
amending the Jamaica tourist port act to
stabilize the tourism environment and
defining rules for the establishment of
standards and quality control we will do
this by creasing the institutional
capacity of our agencies including
improving the JTP licensing functions as
well as the put-in measures to curb
visitor irassman and other disorderly
conduct we will continue to improve
linkages between tourism and economic
sectors including entertainment craft
transportation and agriculture
additionally a tax incentive program
will be implemented for large farms a
mechanism to create warehouses aimed at
facilitating the sale of produce to
hotels will also be established also we
are creating an enabling environment
through collaboration with the
Development Bank of Jamaica Exim Bank
and the small and medium-sized tourism
enterprises in order to create a fund
that will be able to provide financing
support for the small tourism
enterprises we go on to news in sports
the West Indies inched ahead of England
on day three of the first test after
being boiled out for 318 in their first
innings reply a short while ago in the
post tea session in Southampton they
lead by 114 runs Craig brathwaite top
scorer with 65 from his overnight 20
while Shane Doric
made
the one for the Windies who resumed on
5741 Ruslan chase also made 47 and
Shamar Brooks 39 Jamaica's German
Blackwood fell for 12 Ben Stokes took 4
449 and Jimmy Anderson 3 462 for England
England were yet to begin their second
innings reply at sports time and that's
where we end the midday news I'm Herman
green remember join us at 7:00 for the
prime time news package on behalf of the
new sports and production teams good
afternoon
