KINGSTON, Jamaica — People’s National Party spokesperson on health and wellness Dr Morais Guy says the spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases and the increased hospitalisations present a worrying trend for the country.

In a statement today, Guy noted that Jamaica had seen an 80 per cent jump in the number of people who have been hospitalised as the COVID-19 cases surpassed 800 yesterday.

The spokesman said that between July 19 and July 20, COVID-19 admissions had a dramatic jump, from five to 35 positive patients.

He said that with the backlog of test results, “it is uncertain as to the true level of community spread and every Jamaican must take necessary steps to ensure their own safety as the number of cases increases.”

This, he said, is critical in order to prevent the health system from being overwhelmed beyond its capacity.

“The extent of community spread is uncertain, and the government has scaled back on the testing of incoming passengers while pursuing a strategy to reopen the country and get the economy moving again. However, as the number of positive cases increases, the wearing of masks, frequent hand washing and social distancing must be maintained. It is our defence against COVID-19 and protection of the Jamaican society,” Guy said.

He also noted that Florida, which accounts for the majority of incoming passengers to the island, is now the new epicentre for the virus, and argued that those passengers should be carefully screened and tested before being allowed to mingle with the rest of the population.

Guy also reiterated his call for pretesting of passengers, especially those coming from the United States, before they board flights to Jamaica.