Michael Ho Sue, a representative of the Chinese Merchant Association, has estimated that about 90 per cent of the Chinese community in Jamaica have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Ho Sue made the revelation in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday after handing over a cheque of $600,000 to Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton towards the COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Programme.

This handover took place at the ministry’s offices in New Kingston.

“The number of Chinese that the STATIN (Statistical Institute of Jamaica) department estimates that are in Jamaica is about 76,000. Of that group, the recent immigrants and the expats, we estimate a number about 25,000,” Ho Sue said.

“The last time we did an internal survey of the Chinese community to find out how many may have been vaccinated already, the estimate was about 90 per cent of the Chinese community have already been vaccinated, and this is 90 per cent of the expats and Chinese citizens who are on the island either working for the Chinese companies or are a part of the merchant community,” he explained.

The Government’s COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Programme has been boosted with a donation of $2.4 million from six private entities – the Digicel Foundation, Rainforest Seafoods, GraceKennedy, the Chinese Merchant Association, National Rums of Jamaica Limited, and the Jamaica Public Service.

– Ainsworth Morris