LUCEA, Hanover – Mayor of Lucea, Sheridan Samuels, has called on Hanover residents to maintain the same level of vigilance, which they have displayed in keeping the parish COVID-19-free, in the fight against crime in the parish.

“I want after this [COVID-19 pandemic] is over and done with, I want the same level of corporation being shown by the citizens in terms of keeping the towns, communities, and the parish safe. When corona is over, it is the same approach I would want them to take,” stated Mayor Samuels.

The mayor’s challenge follows a revelation by the Hanover Municipal Corporation and the Hanover Health Department that citizens of the parish have been at the heart of identifying people from St Catherine, who have been seen in Hanover, following the recent lockdown of that parish.

St Catherine was placed under lockdown after it became the epicentre of positive coronavirus cases in the country. The 24-hour curfew will end tomorrow at 6:00 am.

Following the lockdown, Hanoverians living in St Catherine who fled to Hanover were placed under home quarantine, while those who are not from the western parish, were asked to return to St Catherine.

Additionally, three St Catherine vendors who ply their wares in the Cleveland Stanhope Market in Lucea, were asked to return to their parish out of an abundance of caution.

Mayor Samuels, who is also the chairman of the Hanover Municipal Corporation, argued that the parish is “currently under a watch in terms of identifying strange faces”.

He further argued that if a similar approach was taken by residents in the area of crime-fighting, there would be far less crime and violence in the parish, which has been under a state of public emergency (SOE) for over a year.

“If we were vigilant in this area with crime itself, where as soon as persons identify a strange face, they report it, the numbers in terms of crime would be even less today. Because, it would be difficult for persons to come from out of town to come and create any crime in the parish,” the mayor argued.

For the first three months of last year- before the imposition of the SOE in Hanover-13 murders were committed in the parish.

Sofar this year, the parish has recorded five homicides.

As of Monday, there were 364 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the island with seven deaths and 29 recoveries.

Hanover is yet to record a single case, while St Catherine leads the way with 208 cases of the disease.