KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie has made an appeal to shelter managers, parish disaster coordinators and the municipal corporations that no one must be turned away from hurricane shelters.

McKenzie made the appeal while speaking at a media conference on Wednesday following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

“No one must be turned back from the shelters and we are not contemplating closing any shelters now. Once we have done the assessments and to see which shelters can be closed we will do so but for the remainder of this week, no shelters must be closed. Our shelters must remain open,” McKenzie said.

The local government minister shared that more Jamaicans have been going to the shelters, especially in parishes that have been most affected by the hurricane.

“Our shelters are seeing now more than 25,000 Jamaicans, and since last night, more persons have been going to the shelters and especially in the parishes that have been badly affected. A lot of homes have been destroyed. So persons are now going to the shelters,” McKenzie said.

He added that a long-term basis will be examined to deal with the increase in numbers at the shelters.