COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica

The COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica is part of an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in Jamaica in 10 March 2020. It happened at the same time as the ongoing dengue fever epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.

COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica
DiseaseCOVID-19
LocationJamaica
First outbreakWuhan, China
(global pandemic)
Kingston, Jamaica
(Local outbreak)
Arrival date10 March 2020
(4 years, 5 months and 3 weeks)
Confirmed cases507
Active cases398
Recovered100
Deaths
09

Background

On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a new coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness on 31 December 2019.[1][2]

Unlike SARS outbreak of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 [3][4] has been much lower, but the transmission has been greater, with a significant total death toll.[5][3]

Responses

The government announced a travel ban between China and Jamaica. All people entering Jamaica from China were quarantined for at least 14 days, and anyone who was allowed to land and showed symptoms of the virus was put in immediate isolation.[6]

On 12 March, Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered all primary and secondary schools closed for 14 days.[7]

References

  1. Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978 . https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-coronavirus. Retrieved 5 March 2020. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  5. "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  6. "Jamaica imposes travel ban over coronavirus". jamaica-gleaner.com. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  7. "Holness orders closure of all schools". The Star. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.