MANCHESTER, Jamaica – Health officials here have raised concern about their safety after residents of a community in Alligator Pond referred to as ‘Compound’ reportedly stoned vector-control workers during fogging of the area.

Chief public health inspector, Charmaine Palmer-Cross, told yesterday’s sitting of the Manchester Municipal Corporation that the vector-control team has more than once been stoned in the community.

“One we go out to fog there tends to be areas [where] persons are throwing missiles at the vehicles. It is not the first time and I am imploring that persons understand the reason for us doing it [fogging], it is for us to protect [the public],” she said.

“If this practice continues then we perhaps will have to pull out of that area, because it is putting our vehicle [and] our workers at risk,” she added.

People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Alligator Pond Division, Dalton Brown, in responding to the health department’s concern said he is willing to accompany the vector-control team in fogging the area.

He said residents have “weird thinking” in relation to fogging.

“What I have found is that there is some weird thinking as it relates to the fogging and persons who are devious at times would store the projectiles and then what [has] happened is that children catch on to the practice and that is the issue that is causing the problem,” he said.

Kasey Williams