Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton - file photo
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Dr. Christopher Tufton
The Government of Jamaica is reviewing the coronavirus outbreak in Japan to determine whether to further expand travel restrictions.
Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton made the disclosure Thursday after imposing travel restrictions on Italy, South Korea, Singapore and Iran.
Dr. Tufton said non-Jamaicans visiting from the four countries will not be granted landing privileges, while those who have permanent residence and marriage exemptions, who are landed and who have visited these countries in the last 14 days, will be subject to a health assessment and quarantine.
Those who have travelled from these countries who exhibit symptoms consistent with the coronavirus will be immediately quarantined.
A travel restriction was also placed on China last month.
Dr. Tufton said as at Wednesday, 141 people had arrived in Jamaica after visiting China for more than 14 days.
Two individuals are in isolation, five in quarantine at State-run facilities and another five in home quarantine.
The Health Ministry is awaiting test results on the two persons in isolation.
Dr. Tufton said the number of quarantine facilities has been expanded to four.
Pandemic?
The World Health Organization head Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus has said the coronavirus outbreak now has pandemic potential.
Dr. Tedros urged governments to act swiftly and aggressively to contain the virus.
His comments come as countries around the world battle to prevent the virus spreading further.
For a second day, more cases have been reported outside than inside China.
Iran and Italy have become major centres of infection, with people travelling from there spreading the virus further afield.
Several high-profile Iranian officials have become infected, the latest being Vice-President for Women and Family Affairs.
Globally, more than 80,000 people in almost 50 countries have been infected.
Nearly 2,800 have died, the majority in China's Hubei province.
Meanwhile, stock markets around the world have fallen sharply amid fears that increased travel restrictions will prevent business activity.
US
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump's administration is considering invoking special powers through a law called the Defense Production Act to rapidly expand domestic manufacturing of protective masks and clothing to combat the coronavirus in the United States.
The use of the law, passed by Congress in 1950 at the outset of the Korean War, would mark an escalation of the administration's response to the outbreak.
The virus first surfaced in China and has since spread to other countries including the US.
U.S. health officials have told Americans to begin preparing for the spread of the virus in the United States.
The law grants the president the power to expand industrial production of key materials or products for national security and other reasons.
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