A little under 30 deportees from the United States arrived in Jamaica yesterday. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the US is continuing its policy of returning individuals to their country of birth.

Forty Jamaicans were initially scheduled to return home, but the US has given no explanation as to why that number was reduced.

However, US authorities had previously indicated that they would not send home anyone who displayed signs of illness or who tested positive for COVID-19.

This is the second batch of deportees to be returned to Jamaica since the borders were closed to incoming passengers on March 24.

One person in the first batch tested positive for COVID-19 after being returned.

Up to yesterday, the United States recorded more than 1.7 million cases of the virus with more than 100,000 deaths and close to 400,000 recoveries.

Meanwhile in Jamaica, the country went another day without confirming any new COVID-19 cases, and reported five additional recoveries. So the total number of recoveries is now at 284, and the total number of coronavirus cases remains at 569. The number of deaths remain at nine.