Media Fraternity To Get COVID 19 Vaccine.

Photo of Prof. Dr. Eldemire Shearer, Lecturer at UWI. I/c Senior Citizen Affairs taking her Vaccine jab. (JIS)

March 25, 2021 | Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

Photo of Prof. Dr. Eldemire Shearer, Lecturer at UWI. I/c Senior Citizen Affairs taking her Vaccine jab. (Photo Credit: JIS)

Media In Vaccine Roll Out

The PM Andrew Michael Holness has acknowledged that he has received a letter from Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) president George Davis. The PM made the announcement when he and his wife and Opposition Leader Mark Golding took their first dose of the two required doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. At about 1:30 PM today March 22, 2021, at the Kingston Base vaccine centre run by the Roman Catholic Church.

Essential Service

The PM said inter alia:

“Arrangements will be made for media workers and essential service workers to be vaccinated soon.”

This comes in the background of a steep rise in infections. The ratio of testing of the positive infection is internationally recognized at 5 percent, above that which is regarded as danger zone. It is now slightly above 40 percent. Over 1200 were tested and about 502 were found to be positive, hence the 42.5 percent. Increased positivity rate. Today is a record high, it has been about a low of 8 to 30 percent. At a year ago we were seen as the poster child for our sound management of the virus.

Opened Up Country

This all changed around June 2020 when we opened up the country to returning Jamaicans and tourists. This brought economic benefits, kept the economy alive, but there was a devastating downturn.

Deaths From Coronavirus

There is a steady rise in deaths from the coronavirus. Currently it stands at just over 500 a 1.2 percent of total infections. The internationally recognized standard is 5 percent. We are below this standard. This is a good sign, although we regret all deaths. The age of those in the death rate is over 60s. Of course, there are older folks and certainly younger ones dying. However, mostly senior citizens are losing the battle with the disease. Breathing issues seem to be the danger area.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is a veteran journalist who has International exposure.