KINGSTON, Jamaica – Determined to use every available weapon to protect Jamaicans from the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19), the Government is expected to reactive the National Disaster Response Committee (NDRC) at Jamaica House today.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton says the move is aimed at using the widest possible expertise available locally to prepare the country for a possible coronavirus attack.

According to Dr Tufton, this little-known committee will be meeting today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, with the aim of creating a smaller co-ordinating committee comprised of both private and public sector representatives with expertise in dealing with national disasters.

He said that they will work with the Ministry of Health on promoting a programme to address the threat.

“We are consulting with those persons now to sign off on the coordinating committee. But I want to at least take it to the Prime Minister’s committee before we make that public,” the health minister told his colleagues at yesterday’s meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives which is reviewing the2020/21 budget.

The NRDC involves a number of stakeholders and agencies from both the private and public sectors, and the Ministry of Health will team with several Government agencies to make a presentation on the possibilities of the virus finding its way into Jamaica for them.

“It will speak to how we will treat with our hospital preparations, the population generally in terms of public education and information, and the management of things like mass gatherings and other things that will help us to address the issue,” Dr Tufton added.

He said that a part of the plan is to consult with external stakeholders based on their level of experience in dealing threats of this nature.

The NRDC was introduced in 2016 after Tropical Storm Earl caused serious flooding across Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean.

Balford Henry