‘Nothing short of a miracle’ - Tufton said COVID-19 deaths could have been higher

Jamaica's Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, says the country not having more COVID-19 deaths is "nothing short of a miracle".

Some 214 deaths have been recorded on the island as of Monday, with total COVID-19 cases being 9,296.

Tufton, in a statement to the House of Representatives on COVID-19 in residential facilities such as nursing homes, prisons and infirmaries, said that too many entities are not following "basic" protocols developed by the health ministry to prevent the spread of the virus.

"I believe that it is nothing short of a miracle that we do not have more fatalities than we have currently. Every fatality is regrettable, but the truth is, we have done remarkably well under the circumstances and we cannot afford to tempt fate and to take risks, unnecessary risks in some instances," Tufton said.

Must adhere to the protocols

Opposition spokesman on health, Dr Morais Guy, said Jamaicans must adhere to the protocols of mask wearing, physical distancing and good hygiene practices to limit the spread of the virus. He said it is unfortunate that 214 persons have died from COVID-19 and argued for Jamaicans to pay "more dedicated attention to the protocols".

"God forbid it ought not to take something closer to recognise that COVID-19 is there, it still a keep, and it is still contagious," Guy said.

Meanwhile, Tufton said that 236 facilities have been inspected, including 203 nursing homes, 13 infirmaries, 14 children's homes and six rehabilitation institutions.

The compliance level has been found wanting. Only 99 nursing homes (48.8 per cent) were found to be compliant with the COVID-19 protocols; seven of the 13 infirmaries were following the guidelines; and four children's homes and two of the rehabilitation institutions were found to be in compliance.

In addition, Tufton said that only 12 of 43 prisons and lock-ups that have been inspected so far have met COVID-19 standard. He said the other 31 have been given a timeline within which to become compliant. There are 106 prisons and lock-ups in country.

"I am serving notice to all owners and operators of residential healthcare facilities, that they must become compliant with all the regulations and protocols related to COVID-19 by November 30, 2020. Failure to comply to same will see prosecutions under the Public Health Act or the Disaster Risk Management Orders, which may result in fines of up to $1 million," the minister said.