MONTEGO BAY, St James — Except for a group of homeless people complaining of hunger the streets of Montego Bay were fairly quiet Monday, day two of the islandwide lockdown that is part of the Government’s toolkit to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

There were few cars on the streets that were being monitored by the police.

One man who told the Jamaica Observer his name is Dean said he had not eaten since Sunday morning. “Di place dead from morning; mi nuh see nobody,” he said.

Another, who did not provide a name, said he, too, was hungry but he welcomed the quiet atmosphere. “[The only problem is] mi hungry, but the place quiet and [there is] peace. No heap a noise and people,” he said.

They were among 14 homeless individuals seen along the piazza of a major supermarket on Church Street at 10:30 am.

When contacted by the Observer, inspector of poor at the St James Municipal Corporation, Pauline Lecky insisted that the city’s homeless had been fed on Sunday and would be fed on Monday. “As a matter of fact, 91 persons from the homeless community received dinner yesterday,” she said. “We cater to them every day, not just in a lockdown. They get meals, shower and clean clothes.”

They often complain, she said, in an effort to get more.

“They will always complain and say they are hungry; some are never satisfied,” Lecky said.

Meanwhile in the capital city of Kingston, Mayor Delroy Williams has given assurance that there would be no disruption to the feeding programme in place for the homeless during the seven days of no movement announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during his last address to the nation.

“Rest assured that the feeding programme… will be in full swing over the period of the lockdown. It will continue in a very organised and structured way, in keeping with the Orders,” he advised.

The no-movement days are: August 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 as well as September 5.