It is natural that some Jamaicans have already started to panic after the health authorities yesterday confirmed the first imported case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) here.

However, based on how our health officials have managed their responsibilities since the outbreak of this disease in China last December, we have no reason to believe that they are incapable of handling the threat the virus presents to the island.

That the health and wellness minister and his medical team came to the country with the information of the imported COVID-19 case one hour after they got laboratory confirmation is commendable and speaks to their commitment to being open and transparent in this most serious matter.

Indeed, as Minister Christopher Tufton said at the news conference yesterday, there is absolutely no value in hiding information from the public, as that can only create a trust deficit, which is never good in instances where public health and other matters of vital importance are at stake.

What Minister Tufton and his team have told us thus far is that the COVID-19 patient is a Jamaican female who had travelled from the United Kingdom which, up to yesterday, reported 373 cases and nine deaths.

The minister also told us that she arrived in the island on March 4, presented to the public health system on March 9, and has been in isolation since then. According to the minister, the patient’s family has been informed and steps are now being taken to prevent the risk of community spread.

That is a very important response to the latest development, because only yesterday scientists researching this virus confirmed that it takes five days on average for people to start showing the symptoms.

A British Broadcasting Corporation report revealed that the scientists also said that anyone who is symptom-free by day 12 is unlikely to get symptoms, but they may still be infectious carriers. Hence, the advice that people who believe they are, whether they have symptoms or not, should self-isolate for 14 days to avoid spreading the infection.

Given yesterday’s development here, it is clear that risk reduction is now the primary strategy in Jamaica’s response to the virus, and we commend the Government for its immediate allocation of $2 billion to deal with the island’s immediate needs.

We urge the health authorities to continue their vigilance and proactive approach to dealing with this crisis. In this regard, we suggest that the authorities not rely too much on travellers self-assessing, as it did not work in this confirmed case.

The Opposition must also be commended for offering their full co-operation with the Government in the fight against this common enemy. Jamaicans must remain calm and, instead, practise good hygiene while observing the health protocols outlined by the Health and Wellness Ministry and the World Health Organization.

We must also desist from social media posts designed to create trepidation and rely on the official sources for credible information that can help rather than hurt people and the country at large.

We all need to acknowledge that this is our country, and as such we all have a duty to protect it. Let’s show the world how we handle coronavirus.