MOH urges COVID-19 vigilance
Published:Saturday | January 7, 2023 | 1:00 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
MEDICAL OFFICER for Hanover Dr Kaushal Singh is calling on Jamaicans to continue to follow the established health protocols to keep up the fight against the latest subvariants of the COVID-19 virus, which have been causing concerns worldwide.
Even though the latest COVID-positive case identified in Hanover was during the first week of December 2022, Dr Singh argued that the Hanover Health Department (HHD) is not taking anything for granted and will continue to encourage residents in the parish to get vaccinated and follow the health protocols.
“By general rule, we can prevent it (spread of new COVID-19 subvariant) by doing the same things we have been doing, such as good hygiene practices, wearing our mask, and taking the vaccines available,” Dr Singh stated during an interview with The Gleaner.
“Basically, the countermeasures are already in place, and now we are more informed in comparison to two years ago, so we (in Hanover) are not as worried as we were at the beginning of the pandemic,” he emphasised.
However, Dr Singh noted that the HHD is making preparations to prevent a spread of the new COVID variant in the parish, pointing out that assessments are being done of the available hospital bed capacity and how the HHD would cope in a worst-case scenario.
Hanover has 19 primary healthcare facilities, which are supported by one Type C hospital, the Noel Holmes, which is located in Lucea.
With an estimated 70,000 residents of Hanover, or 11 per cent of the population in the parish, being categorised as elderly, Dr Singh appealed to the seniors and others with comorbidities to make an effort to get inoculated, as the vaccination remains a proven shield against the virus.
“We started giving vaccines out of all of our health centres, and still we are giving it out at five health centres. And we are not turning away anyone, even if it means opening one vial or two vials, it does not matter, everybody who comes will get their vaccine,” he said.
He named the Lucea, Hopewell, Sandy Bay, Green Island and Ramble health centres as facilities where persons can get vaccinated on any day of the week.
Also, the Hanover medical officer thanked residents of the parish for taking the jab and following the health protocols, which have helped in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Up to the end of November, approximately 36,641 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Hanover, despite HHD personnel expressing concerns that in the last few months the take-up has been on the decline.