KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie says that of the country’s 881 national hurricane shelters, only 76 of those shelters are currently seeing activity.

McKenzie, who gave the update during a press conference on Monday, said some 972 persons have been registered in these shelters.

“There are four parishes that have no one in the shelters. Clarendon has the highest number of persons so far, 311, followed by St Thomas with 227 and Kingston and St Andrew, 179,” McKenzie said.

The minister expressed concerns, particularly for areas such as St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and St James.

“I am hoping that the next update that is presented will show a much greater picture because I’m concerned that in the parishes where this system is heading, the numbers are small. St Elizabeth’s number is 27, in St James 24, in Westmoreland are 32, and the numbers are very low. I’m expecting that by later this afternoon, we will see increased numbers of persons going to the shelters,” he said.

He said based on projections, it is anticipated that some 50,000 persons will be relocated to safe grounds or to shelters.

Meanwhile, McKenzie moved to dispel misinformation circulating in the public domain, alleging that there is a fee being charged for the use of shelters.

“It is important, ladies and gentlemen, that I again emphasise the importance of the mischief that is being made, the false and malicious information being circulated about the use of shelters. Someone sent me a message which says that there is a fee being charged for the use of shelters. Nonsense. What is happening is that there is an attempt by persons with bad intentions to create confusion at this time. The country doesn’t need confusion at this time,” the minister said.

He continued, “The only passport one needs to go to the shelter is that you go to the shelters [that] are there. We separate male from the females [and] families stay together. Walk with your medication, walk with some water and crackers for the first couple of hours, but once the centres are activated in a way, there is nothing that those persons who are in the shelters will be denied.”

The minister noted that there is still a challenge in removing homeless persons from the streets.

“I’m going to take a walk or a ride on the streets of the Corporate Area to see what is happening and try to engage some more of our homeless population to go into the shelters,” he said.

He also sought to remind Jamaicans that a mandatory order has been signed and is in effect.

“Let me advise the public that the director of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) can take the necessary actions that he deems fit and persons can be arrested and fined for not complying with the order. We don’t want to go there,” he said.