SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — There were mixed reactions in this western parish on Monday to Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s assurance that lockdowns will no longer be used in the battle against the novel coronavirus.

Businessman Carl Harris was among those who is not happy with the prime minister’s position.

“I did not like what Mr Holness said in his address to the nation. He basically said he’s throwing in the towel and, as the leader of the nation, I don’t think he did enough to be giving up so soon. I think he could have done more to convince the populace to get vaccinated. He and his Administration have done a lot, but not enough,” Harris told the Jamaica Observer.

Holness was speaking at a news conference called Sunday to announce the implementation of a zone of special operations in a section of Kingston Central that has been plagued by deadly gang violence in recent weeks.

He was responding to a question triggered by speculation that a recent spike in novel coronavirus cases would force the Government to reinstate lockdowns as a containment strategy.

Said Holness: “I have said what the [containment] strategy is. It is now in your hands. Go and take the vaccine. That is the strategy,” Holness said.

“We can’t hold yuh down and put the needle in your hand. If yuh get sick, you take that responsibility,” he said. “There is an option; we have vaccines all over the place. We have sites all over the place. I don’t hear one person complain that they can’t get the vaccine anywhere. Go and get vaccinated. Argument done!”

But unlike Harris, Terrence Clarke, a shopkeeper in Savanna-la-Mar, said he has no problem with the prime minister’s statements.

“Whether we have lockdowns or no lockdowns, we still have to listen to what the Government says and abide by the law. So now we just need to keep on sanitising and wearing the masks and keeping the distance, and who waan tek the vaccine, tek it,” he said.

Hugh Brown, a salesman in the parish, was in full agreement.

“I back Andrew Holness completely with this no more lockdown thing. Di people dem tired fi deh home all the time and we need the freedom. But now is the time to step up the other protocols. It’s up to us now to do what we need to do to keep safe and keep the cases down,” Brown told the Observer.

“Mi nuh think we did need lockdowns inna the first place, ’cause mi nuh see weh dem did a do. The cases did still a go up same way, so right now people just need to take personal responsibility and keep the cases down,” he added.

His co-worker, Anthony Russell, was indifferent.

“The lockdowns were not affecting me because I stay home all the time. Mi get vaccinated and mi carry mi card wid mi all the time and make sure mi wear mi mask said way. So when mi hear seh we nah have no more lockdown, it nuh really matter to mi,” Russell said.