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State agents, political operatives inseparable in St Mary COVID-19 relief

Mayne says Bull Bay, Corn Piece quarantine lessons learnt; Alexis says first six days of lockdown illegal

Published:Sunday | May 17, 2020 | 12:00 AMErica Virtue - Senior Gleaner Writer
South East St Mary Member of Parliament Dr Norman Dunn looks on as Zavia Mayne (centre), state minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, hands a care package to Sheldon McFarlane, a resident in the quarantine zone of Annotto Bay in St Mary, last Thursday.

Government agencies, non-profit organisations and political operatives were inseparable in communities under COVID-19 lockdown last Thursday as The Sunday Gleaner toured the area, but South East St Mary Member of Parliament Dr Norman Dunn has insisted that his bee-like presence was purely observatory.

Teams from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), the Jamaica Red Cross, the National Health Fund (NHF) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) were seen out giving assistance to residents of Dover, Enfield and Annotto Bay as the communities remain under quarantine following a spike in coronavirus cases there.

Zavia Mayne, the minister of state in the MLSS, told The Sunday Gleaner that many lessons have been learnt since Bull Bay in St Andrew became the first community placed under quarantine after the virus was detected in the island, with Corn Piece in Clarendon following later.

“One of the things that is now in place is the quick and efficient delivery of support from the State in the shortest possible time,” Mayne said. “As soon as the geographical area quarantined is designated, the groundwork begins.”

The state minister was leading a team from the ministry to deliver packages in the area when our news team caught up with him.

STAGGERED DISTRIBUTION

“As at today (Thursday), we have distributed 2,100-plus packages, one per family, in the communities. Today is the second round for some persons, as the distributions are done on a staggered basis to make sure that families are served twice over 14 days,” he explained.

Mayne said reports of residents not receiving care packages were based on “impatience and a lack of understanding of the service cycle and also the geographical space.

“Once we hear of reports, the teams on the ground are directed to make enquiries and make interventions directly and quickly. It’s one of the things we learnt from the other lockdowns – the need for greater cohesiveness in service delivery,” Mayne said.

In Annotto Bay, confusion reigned at a distribution point as one family was presented a package but the next-door neighbours – separated only by a mango tree – were not on the list to receive.

Dunn was in the middle of the handover exercise, which was captured by a flurry of media.

On his intervention, the family next door was given a package, even as the government officials were prepared to walk away.

“No, give them a package,” he instructed a representative from the MLSS.

The Sunday Gleaner did not observe any requests being made for residents to present identification cards to receive benefits. This request had previously sparked anger from residents.

However, an MLSS official read the beneficiaries’ names from a list, held together on a clipboard. It was not immediately clear how the list was comprised.

Dunn tried unsuccessfully to explain the boundaries of the first quarantine order, which was announced by press release by the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) late in the evening of May 7. Much of the early confusion, he said, was because the boundaries of the quarantine zone were unknown.

Members of parliament have access to $2 million in funding from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to assist with COVID-19 relief in their constituencies.

On Thursday, Dunn said the team was “in the second cycle of three to deliver packages to the affected families”, although Mayne had earlier said the MLSS was catering for “two cycles in 14 days”.

“I am not giving out any packages. I am MP for the area, so when you see me here, I am here because I know the area and I know the people. I am just observing what is taking place,” Dunn told The Sunday Gleaner.

Still, the third distribution cycle was unexplained and he did not disclose how his CDF allocation was being spent.

In Enfield, a unit from the NHF was parked about 100 metres away from the health centre to dispense medication to the elderly and infirmed.

Community health aide Shanice Edwards said the clinic was facilitating the delivery of medication. She and colleague Ruth Johnson made numerous trips between the clinic and the mobile unit filling prescriptions for patients.

Caiphas Harris summed up the response to the quarantine in the area.

NO COMPLAINTS

“I have no complaints so far. I have received a package already, but no amount of subsidy from Government can fill the need. Jamaica just mash up worse. We depend on America. America have fresh cold and we get pneumonia, and can’t even go to the hospital for treatment ‘cause everybody afraid,” he said.

On Friday, the People’s National Party caretaker for South East St Mary, Dr Shane Alexis, said the Government needed to apologise to the people for the first six days under lockdown.

“It was illegal. The announcement came by press release from MOHW. It took six days after [the release] for the official declaration to be made by the prime minister, and to date, no apology. So I am not sure what lessons have been learnt from the mistakes that were made in St Mary,” he said.

He questioned the MLSS playing the lead role in the relief effort as opposed to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.con