Creary downplays COVID spread risk after testing positive

Port Maria Mayor Richard Creary has downplayed concerns that his contraction of COVID-19 poses a health risk to staff and clients of the St Mary Municipal Corporation.

Creary, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week by local officials of the Ministry of Health in St Mary, told The Gleaner on Monday that there was little or no contact between himself and others in the lead-up to his positive result.

“I only came in contact with only one person at the St Mary Municipal Corporation,” said Creary.

The mayor said that that person has since been tested. He did not offer any information on the result of that test.

“My office is far away from all the other offices. I only went there on Monday and I wasn’t there on Thursday or Friday of the week before. I went there on Monday (last week) for a couple minutes and only one person I came in contact with.”

Creary, who is also deputy general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and councillor for the Richmond division in St Mary, was reluctant to answer whether or not he had made a formal/official report to Prime Minister Andrew Holness about his test result.

The mayor, who is now in self-isolation at home, said that he has presented with symptoms such as lethargy and coughing. He was expected to figure heavily in the JLP’s campaign leading up to the September 3 general election, including in the key seat of St Mary South East that was snatched from the People’s National Party in an October 2017 by-election.

Creary said that he was prompted to undergo a COVID-19 test after not feeling well some time last week. He decided to self-quarantine precautionarily.