KINGSTON, Jamaica – Hours after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake jolted Jamaica, causing widespread panic, Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Monday said he can assure the public that the Government is capable and prepared to respond to disasters effectively.

“Jamaica has a very well-developed disaster response mechanism. You would have seen it in action during COVID, you would have seen it in action earlier during the term when we were threatened by hurricanes. It is very comprehensive. It takes care of the political directorate of the country then it goes down to the executive, to the public sector bureaucracy and to our partnership with the private sector and civil society. It is very inclusive. There is a disaster response committee that works and is provided with legislative authority,” Holness told reporters.

“If the situation were worse, my own belief is that we would be able to respond. Yes, we would be stretched as I am not here saying that we are well resourced or have the necessary equipment to respond, but certainly in terms of management, in terms of experience and will to keep Jamaica safe we are very strong in that regard… We have also put fiscal buffers in place to respond,” he added.

Holness was addressing a media briefing at the Jamaica House in St Andrew.

The earthquake occurred at approximately 10:57 am and was reportedly felt right across the island. The epicentre was located approximately 10 kilometres south of Buff Bay, Portland.

The impact was reportedly felt in The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, United States Minor Outlying Islands, and Cuba.

READ: Jamaica jolted by earthquake

He said that following initial assessments, damage from the earthquake appears minor, but he revealed that all earthquake protocols have been activated.

“The assessment so far is that damage has been minor but nevertheless we are taking all precautions. All the necessary protocols have been activated. At this point I want to say to all Jamaicans remain calm. It is likely that after the initial shock, there are usually aftershocks so you want to be in a safe place,” he said. “That safe place may be outside until you have conducted an assessment of the building and you have determined that it is safe to reenter the building.”

READ: WATCH: Minor damage after magnitude 5.6 earthquake, says Holness – PM urges Jamaicans to remain calm

Against this background, he said: “Generally, our disaster response entities know what to do, so this would include the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Defence Force. It would also be coordinated by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. It also includes the National Works Agency, the National Water Commission…they all know what to do,” he said, urging Jamaicans to build stronger infrastructure to withstand disasters.

He also noted that a part of preparedness is ensuring the nation’s children are equipped with the required information on disaster response.

“Our children, based on the reports I’ve been getting…parents now is a good time to talk to your children about what to do in the event of a disaster like an earthquake…It’s very important that our teachers and parents have this conversation with our children.