Ladies and gentlemen of the press,
Representatives of the Ministry of Health and Wellness,
Other stakeholders.
Good afternoon.
Thank you for joining us this afternoon for what is an important development with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Jamaica today confirmed its first imported case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) here in Kingston.
The patient is a Jamaican female who had travelled from the United Kingdom, which has cases of COVID-19. She arrived in the island on March 4, presented to the public health system on March 9 and has been in isolation since then.
Based on the patient’s travel history and symptoms, health professionals suspected COVID-19. A clinical sample was collected and sent to the National Influenza Centre, where laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis today at approximately 11:00 am. The patient and family members have been informed.Press Statement_CoronaV_Mar2020_FINAL.pdf