The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) last night said it was no longer carrying out evacuation exercises for persons on the Cays.

Captain Basil Jarrett, head of the JDF Civil Military Co-operation, said this was to allow the military to move its vessels to safety.

"We are not doing any more evacuations ... we have had to send our larger boats out to sea out of the path of the storm," he said.

But with some persons refusing to leave the Pedro Cays, Jarrett said they left petrol with them to enable them to fuel their boats in case they choose to head to the mainland.

In the meantime, Captain Jarrett said the JDF on Monday began evacuating persons on the Morant Cays.

He said that exercise continued on the Pedro Cays yesterday, but noted that only a small number of persons elected to leave.