US donates additional J$29 million to help Ja in COVID fight
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Jamaica’s COVID-19 fight recently received a US$190,000 boost courtesy of the government of the United States, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Caribbean Regional Office and its COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation Program.
According to a statement from the US Embassy, the funds, which is approximately J$29million, will be used to aid in staff training and the procurement of supplies including mobile beds, oxygen, emergency trollies, and tents.
The funding provided will also aid in the retention of staff to support vaccine rollout.
The Embassy noted that this donation builds on a total J$1.8 billion (US$12m), the United States has provided toward Jamaica’s national COVID-19 response since the onset of the pandemic.
It added that the CDC Caribbean Regional Office also facilitated a partnership with the Peace Corps and Jamaica’s Ministry of Health & Wellness through which the Peace Crops will provide additional human resource support to the vaccination rapid response efforts.
On Thursday, December 2, a mobile COVID-19 vaccination roll-out at the University of Technology Jamaica, which was supported under this project, was attended by both US CDC and Peace Corps representatives.