HANOVER, Jamaica — The Hanover Health Department is encouraging members of the public to take precaution and observe all protocols, as the current surge in COVID-19 cases in the parish is expected to continue through the next month. 

Over the past month, the parish has recorded a sharp increase in the respiratory virus by 75 per cent. To date, the parish has recorded a total of 795 cases after commencing the year with 306. Besides, the parish started the year with two deaths associated with the virus and in just one month, 18 new deaths were added.

Addressing Thursday’s sitting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation monthly general meeting, Dr Kaushal Singh, the medical officer of health for Hanover argued that the parish is expected to see a continued increase in cases. 

He noted that following two incubation periods of 28 days, there should be a decrease in the number of cases. However, he said the opposite is currently taking place.

“I can say that in the next four weeks, we are going to have more increase rather than decrease because it is trending up. The trend is not going down,” stated Dr Singh, who noted that the situation is similar across the country.

The senior medical officer noted that while there are no confirmed cases of the United Kingdom virus variant in the parish, the increase in the number of cases across the island is possibly caused by the variant which has been confirmed in the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Clarendon, St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew.

As such, the senior medical officer emphasised the need to take precaution.

“We still have to take precaution unless over 70 per cent of the population gets immunised either through mild infection or the vaccine and that will take at least [up to] 2022,” stated Dr Singh.

On the other hand, Dr Singh said the first day of vaccination for health care workers went well in the parish. He said on Wednesday, a total of 93 people were vaccinated, three more than the original targeted number.

Anthony Lewis