KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Parliamentary Opposition, the People’s National Party says it has noted the official declaration of an outbreak of Dengue Fever and is calling on Jamaicans to listen to and comply with all bulletins issued by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

In a statement on Sunday, Opposition spokesman on Health and Wellness, Dr Morais Guy, also appealed to citizens to immediately begin cleaning and clearing their yards and communities of debris, in particular old cans and tyres which collect water and become prime breeding containers for the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito, the carrier of the Dengue Fever virus.

“It is regrettable that the National Solid Waste Management Authority did not use the drought period to increase public cleansing activities. Neither did the authorities do drain cleaning and river training in a consistent manner”, Dr Guy said.

Dr Guy said with the increased rainfall in recent weeks the conditions are conducive to mosquito breeding across the island.

Notwithstanding the uphill battle to be fought, Dr Guy is calling on the government to fast-track the implementation of a national response through mosquito spraying and other vector control measures to mitigate the situation as quickly as possible.

The Central St Mary MP explained that it was critical for citizens to pay close attention to messages, bulletins and updates from the Ministry of Health, its departments and agencies.

Dr Guy welcomed the decision of the Ministry to extend the opening hours of clinics to 8.00 pm to respond to potential infections, effective Monday, October 2. However, he asked that due to the official declaration, the extended hours be effective this coming Monday, September 25, 2023. He said this would ensure that the outbreak does not become unmanageable.