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Two nursing homes ordered closed over COVID protocol breaches

Published:Wednesday | October 28, 2020 | 8:25 PM
Tufton: "The team will be out in the field to inspect and to visit if necessary every day until those facilities are brought into the appropriate protocol."

Health authorities have ordered the closure of two nursing homes found in breach of COVID-19 protocols.

At the same time, several others as well as lock-ups and prisons have been given time to comply.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton told a Jamaica House press conference on Wednesday that one of the nursing homes ordered closed is located in Manchester and the other in Hanover.

According to the minister, of the 236 nursing homes and other residential facilities inspected, only 48.8 per cent were compliant with COVID protocols.

He said the others have been given 30 days to become compliant.

"The team will be out in the field to inspect and to visit, if necessary, every day until those facilities are brought into the appropriate protocol," said Tufton.

Meanwhile, Tufton said, so far, of the 106 prisons and lock-ups across Jamaica, 43 have been inspected.

But he said only 12 have met the requisite standards.

Tufton said the remaining 31 facilitates have been given timelines to become compliant with the standards.

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