PRIME Minister Andrew Holness says the Government may have to consider distributing masks amid the current COVID-19 crisis.

Providing an update on the issues arising from safety protocols implemented to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus and responding to questions from Opposition members in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, Holness said that the Government will have to contemplate both the production and distribution of masks.

“Now that you have raised it, it is something that I am going to look at in a serious way, to see how the Government could support such an initiative,” he told the House.

He also admitted that there is a global shortage of testing material for COVID-19. However, the prime minister said he has been assured by the Ministry of Health and Wellness that the backlog of tests will be cleared by July 31.

He noted, too, that the large crowds outside some institutions and the police’s inability to ensure the observance of health and safety protocols while they wait to access services are creating a challenge in public spaces.

He said that he has been in discussions with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service on how to move more services online, to reduce the lines outside institutions and the incidence of institutions not observing social distancing protocols.

— Balford Henry