EVERY precaution has been taken to ensure that the infirm and young in the care of the State are kept safe when weather conditions associated with Hurricane Beryl begin impacting the island, the responsible agencies on assured Monday.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie, in providing the nation with an update during an emergency press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Andrew on Monday, said arrangements are in place for occupants of two of the island’s 13 infirmaries to be evacuated “if needs be”. The two facilities, one in Trelawny and the other in St Ann, are located close to the ocean, he said.

McKenzie, in the meantime, pleaded with the public to respect the protocols in place for infirmaries at this time. There are some 1,600 residents in the island’s 13 infirmaries.

McKenzie said, too, that efforts are being made to secure the homeless population across the country through municipal corporations which are making arrangements to transport them to safety.

“Wherever we can find them [they will be taken] to our drop-in centres or infirmaries or schools that have been identified across the country. They have been working on that from yesterday and have intensified in the last couple hours,” McKenzie told the briefing.

On Monday, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), in response to questions from the Jamaica Observer on the state of readiness of its child-care facilities across the island, said all facilities “have an established disaster plan which they are to adhere to in the case of a disaster”.

“All facilities have been notified to activate their disaster plan at this time. Additionally, all facilities currently have in stock at least two weeks’ worth of food and water. The facilities have also been stocked with necessary disaster supplies based on their individual needs, such as tarpaulin, flashlights, sandbags etcetera,“ the agency said.

The CPFSA also said “each facility has a local disaster committee, which would include members of the local community that would be able to assist in the case of a disaster”.

It said committee members include medical and health-care personnel, such as those from the Ministry of Health and Wellness; transportation personnel and fire prevention personnel from the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB); as well as members of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

Additionally, the CPFSA said it will convene an emergency operations centre, which will offer more centralised assistance to its facilities and offices, as well as liaise directly with central personnel from ODPEM, Ministry of Health, JFB, JDF, and JCF.

The CPFSA said the only facility in a flood-prone area in St James has a wall erected to prevent flooding.

Beryl became the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season early Saturday morning and quickly strengthened to Category 4, the first-ever to reach that level in June, according to National Hurricane Centre records.