The National Housing Trust (NHT) shut down its New Kingston headquarters yesterday to facilitate a sanitisation exercise which it said “was done out of an abundance of caution”.

The trust did not provide any details but the Jamaica Observer later confirmed that the closure was hastily arranged after it was determined that a member of the NHT staff might have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

It is understood that the NHT staff member has since been tested for COVID-19, but up to press time the result was not available.

Yesterday morning staff members and NHT customers turned up to the Park Boulevard premises in New Kingston to find the gates closed with security guards indicating that the sanitisation would be completed by midday for normal operations to resume.

But the reopening plan was shelved quickly as the NHT issued a mid-morning media release in which it said the offices would be closed all day.

“The NHT wishes to remind all customers that several services can be accessed online via the ‘NHT Online’ portal on our website www.nht.gov.jm, and via the NHT mobile app.

“Please note that service delivery via our customer care centre will also be disrupted as a result of the closure,” said the NHT in its release as it apologised for any inconvenience the closure would cause.

It is expected that the sanitisation exercise, which some staff members have claimed is not being done by professionals, will continue today with the NHT offices reopening for normal business on Monday.