Things got nasty on Twitter on Thursday (Jan 30) when People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for St Mary South Eastern, Dr Shane Alexis, used the platform to defend his colleague, Damion Crawford.

Crawford came under fire on the social media platform, after he suggested that local health officials could not be sure that the coronavirus was not on the island because they had no testing equipment.

It was a tweet that Member of Parliament for West Portland, Daryl Vaz, took issue with and sought to counter.

Not so fast, Mr. Vaz. 

However, Alexis, a trained medical physician also joined the conversation, to side with his comrade colleague, noting that the coronavirus could not be ruled out at this time.

“Damion is correct, the medics have not ruled out Coronavirus as the test is not available and will only know in about a week. They have only ruled out Dengue. The two patients arrived from China and have symptoms,”tweeted Alexis.

Alexis also, used the occasion to throw in a jab of his own, adding, “ By the way I am 100% Jamaican, you get back you visa yet?”

OUCH! 

Vaz didn’t let the jab slide.

“Two People who are sitting in Parliament are having a discussion Shane. Sit this one out. Leave banter for people who have won at least 1 election. As for Coronavirus; thanks for the update,” fired back a Vaz on Twitter.

Earlier this week, Minister of Health and Wellness, Christopher Tufton was forced to call an emergency press conference to quell rumours that a person or persons, who had recently travelled to Jamaica from China, had contracted the virus.