Health Minister urges IPC vigilance as children’s hospital sees growing COVID-19 cases
Jan. 17, 2022
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Friday, January 14, 2022: As the Bustamante Hospital for Children records a growing number of admissions for COVID-19, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton is urging strict adherence to infection prevention and control protocols, and encouraging more Jamaicans to get vaccinated.
“It is absolutely critical that more Jamaicans become vaccinated and that we all wear our masks, keep our distance from others and frequently wash and sanitise our hands,” the Minister noted while on a visit to the hospital earlier today.
Some 10 clinics have had to be canceled while hospital staff tries to cater to the essential cases. Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson shared that the hospital is seeing the highest number of paediatric cases, including 23 confirmed and two suspected while they await the results for 24 samples.
“We ask you to minimise your children’s exposure to the virus. Where you, as parents and family members, can get vaccinated, I urge you to do so to protect those who are unable to get vaccinated because of their age,” she said.
“We are currently in the fourth wave of the pandemic. We have been through three before but this one is different. The pace at which people are getting infected and symptomatic is alarming and therefore it is important that we vaccinate to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” Dr. Richards-Dawson added.
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