KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has imposed tighter restrictions in Westmoreland to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the parish.

Speaking in Parliament this afternoon, Holness announced that the nightly curfews will be tightened, commencing at 7:00 pm each day and ending at 5:00 am the following. The change in curfew hours will take effect tomorrow and end December 31.

Additionally, public gatherings will be limited to 10 people, down from the 15 permitted elsewhere and burials will remain at 15.

Holness also said all grand market events in the parish will be cancelled.

Westmoreland has recorded 117 cases to date, 76 of which were confirmed last week.

The prime minister informed that there was a 32.1 per cent test positivity rate last week in comparison to 17.6 per cent the week before, noting that the number is over three times the national positivity rate of 9.3 per cent for that week.

“This means that one out of every three persons tested (in Westmoreland) were positive for the coronavirus,” he said.

He expressed that the Government had to act to mitigate the harm that is occurring in the parish as the outbreak is putting a strain on resources.

He noted that the establishment of the field hospital in the parish was delayed due to recent heavy rains and the four hospitals in the region are currently at 80 to 90 per cent bed occupancy.

They are: Savanna-la-mar Hospital, Cornwall Regional Hospital, Falmouth Hospital and Noel Holmes Hospital.

Savanna-la-mar Hospital, Holness said, is up to 87 per cent occupancy with 15 of 18 COVID beds occupied and 18 to 20 patients in the emergency department waiting on a bed on the existing wards.