Health Minister, Dr. Tufton, says the government’s vaccine blitz centers will have extended opening hours as the it tries to achieve over 20 thousand vaccinations before the end of Tuesday.
Dr. Tufton says the center will be open till 8:00 PM each day today and tomorrow as the government attempts to achieve over 50 thousand vaccinations during its current blitz.
Dr. Tufton was speaking on Nationwide This Morning with Abka Fitz- Henley and Danielle Archer.
He says the thirty one thousand vaccinations achieved over the weekend is commendable but still below the expected target.
Dr. Tufton says the low take-up in target groups forced the government to extend the period and the number of eligible persons. He says they can’t wait for the target groups to fill the slots.
Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness.
COVID-19 UPDATE: 4 additional deaths, 263 new cases
The country has recorded four more COVID-19 casualties according to the Health Ministry’s latest update.
The deceased are a 79-year-old male from Kingston and St. Andrew, an 83-year-old male from St. Ann, a 98-year-old female from St. Catherine, and a 69-year-old male from Portland. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the country to 676.
Meanwhile, 2 hundred and 63 new cases were recorded in the latest update.
This brings the number of confirmed positive cases to 42, 763. Nine hundred and seventy-one samples were tested, representing a positivity rate of 26%. The majority of the cases are from Kingston and St Andrew with 79 new cases. St Catherine follows with 44 new cases.
Rounding out the top three is St Ann with 43 new cases.
In the meantime, recoveries in the latest update stand at one hundred and 21. This brings the number of recoveries to 19 thousand and 17. Four hundred and 5 persons have been hospitalized, 30 are moderately ill and 49 are critical.
