No local transmission of COVID-19 since June 1

The Government has reported that there has been no local transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) since June 1.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, made the disclosure at the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ virtual press briefing on Thursday, July 30.

She said that all positive cases recorded since June 1 are from people coming into the country or their contacts.

“Essentially, it means that in terms of containing the infection, as a country, we’re doing well. The confirmed cases we’re seeing are really coming from outside,” she noted.

In addition, she said that no new COVID-19 cases related to the workplace cluster at the Alorica call centre in Portmore, St. Catherine, have been detected in recent weeks.

“After about the 25th of May, we have not had anymore, either cases related to Alorica or any local transmitted cases,” Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie said.

She noted that there are cases under investigation, which may turn out to be local transmission “but, so far, they still would represent a minority of the cases that we are seeing”.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie said there are 20,784 people in quarantine across the island, with the majority (20,749) in home quarantine.

“What this speaks to is the importance of quarantine, because these cases have come from outside, but they have not been spreading, except outside of the small number of imported cases.

“This is the result of people staying at home. All these imported cases have resulted in very little spread because of quarantine,” she noted.

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