488 people in shelters across Jamaica

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) says 488 people are in shelters across the island amid the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

ODPEM's acting Director General Richard Thompson said of that figure, 109 people are being sheltered at Old Harbour High School in St Catherine.

Thompson, who gave the update at ODPEM's command centre where Prime Minister Andrew Holness held a press conference, indicated that the agency has enough supplies to support those being housed at shelters.

ODPEM had announced earlier that 70 people were evacuated from several sections of Old Harbour Bay by the police in St Catherine South. The area is among those expected to be significantly impacted by the category 4 hurricane.

Still, Holness said he will be requesting an update later today on how persons are being treated at shelters.

“Are their needs being met? Is there a level of comfort that they can feel safe and satisfied that they are not so discomforted that they want to go back to a worse situation? That's really important,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, he said there has been no report of criminal activities as Hurricane Beryl makes its way south of Jamaica.

Additionally, he said no death related to the system has been reported so far.

- Kimone Francis

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