SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – The Westmoreland police say they are tracking the more than 30 illegal parties advertised to be staged in the parish during the Yuletide season.

Commanding officer for Westmoreland Superintendent Robert Gordon told the Jamaica Observer West earlier this week that parties are creating additional challenges in the parish for lawmen, and is contributing to the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the parish.

“We want to urge persons to be caring and understanding of how their actions are affecting their loved ones and the society as a whole,” Superintendent Gordon stated.

“The health reports show that in the past two weeks we have had over 11 deaths with the youngest person being about 60 years old. These elderly persons are not the ones going out to expose themselves. It means that younger persons are going out, exposing themselves, and they may be asymptomatic, and returning home to infect their loved ones. And this is why we are calling out for these persons to avoid exposing themselves.”

He stressed that the illegal parties being held have negatively impacted the use of police resources.

These resources, he argued, could be used in other areas, such as the fight against crime, instead of this “cat-and-mouse game,” which, he said, can be prevented with more empathy from the citizens.

“These parties are located in some deep, deep bushes. The music is not loud, so we cannot hear them. We sometimes just come upon a number of vehicles parked along the roadway, and we then have to traverse through some rocky tracks to find the party. Then, when we arrive on the scene, everybody starts running wild,” he shared.

According to Deputy Superintendent Adrian Hamilton, the officer in charge of operations in the parish, during the first week of this month, nine individuals were charged for breaches of the Disaster Risk Management Act and eight for breaches of the Noise Abatement Act.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced in Parliament on Tuesday that the nightly curfew in Westmoreland will begin at 7:00 pm each evening and end at 5:00 am the following day as of yesterday and will end on December 31, as part of efforts to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus in the parish.

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

Westmoreland has recorded 571 cases of COVID-19 to date, 76 of which were confirmed last week.

Additionally, the parish has accounted for 22 of the island’s 276 COVID-19-related deaths.

Yesterday, Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmoreland Western Morland Wilson told the Observer West that he supports the new curfew order announced by the prime minister for the parish.

“I strongly endorse this action as the data suggests that one way to reduce infection is to reduce contact hours,” said Wilson.

“I am concerned that if the current spike continues, the livelihood of the constituents, as well as the greater economic viability of the area, could be negatively impacted.”

The first-time MP urged constituents to adhere to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols outlined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

“My team and I are working closely with the Ministry of Health and other local authorities; our efforts are geared towards minimising the increase in COVID-19 cases throughout Westmoreland Western. We have been on the ground encouraging persons to follow the correct protocols, and advocating for consistent mask-wearing, sanitisation and social distancing,” he stated.

“Our collective health and safety will only be guaranteed through joint efforts by the citizens and Ministry of Health. We must take personal responsibility for our own health and the health of our loved ones and community. Many lives have been lost due to COVID-19. We can prevent further loss of lives by wearing masks, sanitising hands and avoiding large social gatherings.”