Tufton: 'Plan in place to respond to COVID-19'

The government is anticipating that it may treat about 2000 severe acute cases of COVID-19 in public hospitals should the country experience an outbreak of the infection now plaguing more than 70 countries.

The disease, which emerged in China in December, has already infected more than 90,000 people worldwide and killed 3,500.

In a statement, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, outlined that of the 2,000 cases Jamaica expects to see in its hospitals, some 360 may require critical care.

The projections form part of the details of the COVID-19 Comprehensive Response Plan, which has been approved by the Prime Minister, Andrew Holness-led National Disaster Risk Management Council. The implementation of the plan is to cost approximately $2 billion.

Tufton said based on the country's experience with the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, the Ministry of Health and Wellness anticipates that if there is community transmission of COVID-19 that there could be 2.6 million acute respiratory cases in Jamaica, up from the one million the country experiences every year. Approximately 800,000 people will seek care in public and private facilities he said, with facilities seeing as many as 35,000 per week at the height of the outbreak. Half of those numbers will go to public health facilities. 

He said the health ministry is prepared for the eventualities and will roll out several activities once community transmission is confirmed. These include, coordination with other government agencies and key stakeholders, as well as surveillance and continued imposition of travel restrictions, which are now in effect for five countries. 

However, he cautioned that the success of the plans will be contingent on the support of the public and how responsibly they access and share information about COVID 19. Tufton said citizens must also practise proper hygiene and take the necessary precautionary actions to avoid infection and spread of the virus. 

"The challenge is significant. However, if we work together to minimise the spread of the virus and to effectively manage cases, if or when we have them, we can, as we have in the past, overcome this public health challenge," the health minister said.   

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