JAMAICANS who have family members in hospital are being urged to prepare to receive some of them as, during the Christmas period, public health institutions will be releasing non-critical patients to free up bed space for emergency cases.

“Sometimes their loved ones complain [but], in the judgement of the clinicians, if that sickness is not life-threatening and there is a need to preserve a bed for anticipated emergency cases which normally spike during this season, then the decision is always from the SMO (senior medical officer) and the CEO (chief executive officer) to release persons, and that is likely to happen this year again. So, one needs to prepare oneself for that. If you have persons in hospital who could easily be treated at home, or guided remotely,” Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said on Thursday as he addressed the ministry’s end-of-year press conference held at its headquarters in New Kingston.

At the same time, he said Jamaicans should be mindful of unnecessarily placing extra pressure on the public health system during the period, bearing in mind the continued circulation of COVID-19 along with other influenza-type viruses, which have landed some people in institutional care.

Dr Tufton said general hospital bed occupancy in the last seven days is just over 3,240 out of about 5,500, but stressed “that could build up easily and it depends on the institutions. The referral hospitals tend to come under pressure, moreso during [this] particular period, so we want people to avoid going to the hospital if you can avoid it”.

“Again, the ministry is appealing to families to desist from leaving relatives at hospitals to languish, aware that under the Public Health Act the authorities cannot remove those persons, as hospitals are a place of safety. It’s been a recurring theme this time of year. We can’t put people out on the street and we don’t put people out on the street legally or morally; it would be a wrong thing to do,” said Dr Tufton.

Jamaicans, he said, “take advantage of the hospital system by dropping their relatives at the hospital door, leaving them there in order for them to have a hassle free festive season; that is not in keeping with the spirit of the season – biblically, morally or otherwise. The hospitals are not a daycare or a nightcare facility,” Dr Tufton stated.

In the meantime, he said health authorities are observing and monitoring some of the developments in other countries where an increase in COVID-19 cases have caused some restrictions to be reinstituted. However, he said that at this point the Jamaican Government does not see the need to reimpose restrictions, but will continue to monitor and to consult with its partners, and assess the local situation.

Providing an update on COVID-19, medical epidemiologist Dr Ardene Harris said between December 6 and 12, a total of 42 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total case count to 152,711 since March 10, 2020. The number of fatalities stand at 3,452, with 349 still under investigation, while another 295 were classified as coincidental COVID-19 deaths. The seven-day average positivity rate is 2.8 per cent.

Dr Tufton said Jamaicans must continue to protect themselves, particularly during Yuletide as interaction increases among individuals.

“Vaccines are still available and you can access them… if you are feeling ill, coughing sneezing and so on, it is still advisable to wear a mask, to protect others from you, or if you’re in an environment where someone is doing that, put on your mask to protect yourself. I’ve met a couple of persons who have been quite ill, and a few weeks back we had to do an overflow into the UHWI because the Bustamante Hospital [for children] was full. Travel, people coming from abroad, will mean a lot more interaction than normal and the possibility of transmitting a virus is quite real,” he stated.

The country’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage is 27.2 per cent, or 1,505,390 doses administered. Kingston and St Andrew, St Thomas, St Ann have the highest coverage of 30.8 per cent, with at least one dose.

“We are seeing low levels in terms of spread, transmission, and bed occupancy and for the reproduction rate as well, [except] for vaccination, that we want to be higher,” Dr Harris said.

Meanwhile, Jamaica has so far recorded 18 monkey pox cases, 16 of which were locally transmitted.