MANCHESTER, Jamaica— As news spread that a 79-year-old Clarendon man who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus died just before being transferred from the Mandeville Regional Hospital on Wednesday, there was widespread fear and anxiety in this south-central town.

The streets were like that of a ghost town as citizens yielded calls from the Government to stay at home as much as possible.

One taxi driver who operates to and from the hospital told the OBSERVER ONLINE that he was contemplating whether he should continue his job.

“Backside man, right now mi feel like mi woulda run weh to how mi a panic right now, especially seeing say one man go dead yah now. Mi really and truly definitely afraid!” he said.

“Mi run taxi and even though mi sanitize mi car, right now with this weh go happen [first death] mi really waan run weh,” he added.

“Mi just done sanitize mi car and mi hear pon the radio about the death. Mi no think mi a come back a road tomorrow. Definitely no!” he said.

A friend of the taxi operator, while anxious, was more philosophical.

“Mi feel a way yes, but weh fi happen ago just happen. Mi have mi likkle alcohol and mi vitamin C weh mi tek daily,” he said. 

“Right now mi would a drink a cold beer and go relax mi mind but the bar dem lock so mi cyaan do that,” said the friend who also asked not to be named.

Another man argued that the time had come for the authorities to close ports of entry.  

“From mi hear about the death me even more worried and right now the Government fi just lock all ports of entry, because the man [deceased] recently travelled from New York. I feel sorry for his family because on top of his death the fact that he had the virus is worrying,” he said.

Another man who said he was on his way to the hospital likened the situation to a horror show.

“Everybody haffi really think about it [virus] right yah now and be careful, because now a over the hospital mi a go and if me could go elsewhere, mi woulda do that. This come in like a horror movie,” he said.

Kasey Williams