Edmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

11 leptospirosis, 2 tetanus cases confirmed in west

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is reporting 11 cases of leptospirosis following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. According to Dr Karen Webster Kerr, principal medical officer and national…
Floyd Green, minister of agriculture, fisheries and mining, addresses the Parliament on the state of the agriculture sector on Tuesday.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

$30b bite

Damage to Jamaica’s agriculture and fisheries sector from Hurricane Melissa is estimated at nearly $30 billion. The Category Five storm, whose local death toll officials placed at 45 on Tuesday, tore…
Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

Real-time audit

The Auditor General’s Department is conducting a real-time audit to assess the transparency and accountability of resources received and utilised under the Hurricane Melissa relief initiative. The…
Commander Alvin Gayle, newly appointed director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, addresses yesterday’s special press briefing on Hurricane Melissa at Jamaica House in St Andrew.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

‘Not a good move’

A leading disaster-mitigation specialist and a social-development specialist have both cautioned against placing the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) under the…
Keenan Falconer, economist.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

Melissa leaves big bill behind

At least one economist has indicated that the damage to the country’s infrastructure, spanning housing, water, electricity, telecommunications, and roads could reach an estimated US$16 billion (J$2.5…
Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of labour and social security, addresses a special press briefing on the recovery from Hurricane Melissa at Jamaica House in St Andrew yesterday.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

Relief angst

Almost a week after Hurricane Melissa delivered a catastrophic blow to sections of southern and western Jamaica, the Government reported yesterday that there are still 25 marooned communities. As the…
News
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

Cat bond triggered

Information Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon has confirmed that Jamaica’s catastrophe bond has been triggered following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The Government is expected to announce…
Residents of Cornwall Street in Falmouth, Trelawny, look at the damage done to their homes and possessions after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which swept through the island on Tuesday.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

There was a pall of gloom hanging over Black River, St Elizabeth, yesterday, as four bodies, three men and a woman, were discovered after being washed up by floodwaters generated by the fury of…
Information Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon chats with Daryl Vaz, minister of energy and transport, at a special press briefing on Tropical Storm Melissa at Jamaica House in St Andrew on Thursday.
December 9, 2025 by Edmond Campbell

State bodies, partners ramp up activities as Melissa approaches

The Government says it is ramping up its preparation efforts as Tropical Storm Melissa approaches Jamaica, with various state agencies and ministries working to ensure that essential services remain…