Water woes eased in a section of Portland Cottage
Published:Saturday | April 4, 2020 | 12:18 AMDanae Hyman/Gleaner Writer
With heightened concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of a section of Portland Cottage in Clarendon who previously complained about the lack of water in the community were yesterday served with the precious commodity and care packages when Pearnel Charles Jr, the newly minted member of parliament for the area visited.
The assistance was in response to complaints by a woman who said she had no water. The woman was tested positive for COVID-19. On Thursday she reported that limited access to clean water has undermined her attempts to comply with personal-hygiene warnings and may have compromised her family’s health in the first place.
Other areas have water
Other members of that section of Portland Cottage also shared that lack of running water has long plagued the community.
Only this section of Portland Cottage suffers from the lack of running water as residents from other areas of the community reported that they consistently receive water.
However, Charles, who initially said he was unaware of the residents’ concern, turned up in the community yesterday to ensure that the woman received water.
“The water truck came to Portland Cottage and distributed. We know that there is a difficulty in terms of the area that is close to the COVID home because even the people with the water truck, they are scared. They have some reservations to go to the area but we are making arrangements to make sure that everybody is served with water.
“We are also continuing the delivery of care packages and the identification of the most vulnerable persons across the constituency. The care packages include food and there are recreational packages from UNICEF that the Food For the Poor team is delivering to those under lockdown in Corn Piece Settlement and in Portland Cottage,” the Clarendon South Eastern MP said.
Additionally, Charles shared that the woman who tested positive, also received diapers for her three-month-old son.
The 32-year-old woman had reported that the Ministry of Health & Wellness had allowed her to isolate at home until an arrangement could be made as she had two children with no one to care for them.