JPS working to restore power

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) says its work crews are making every effort to have power supply restored to a number of areas left without electricity due to the adverse weather conditions associated with Hurricane Joaquin.

The system has been producing heavy showers and thunderstorms since Friday night, and this has resulted in an unusual number of outages in some sections of the island. The main parishes that are affected include: Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon and St Elizabeth. JPS assures customers that restoration efforts continue in earnest and urges everyone to stay away from downed power lines and poles.

Keep infected children at home

Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson, has appealed to parents to remove children who are infected with hand, foot and mouth disease from school for at least seven days to allow them to fully recover so as to prevent transmission to others.

Speaking during a joint press briefing with the Ministry of Education on Friday, he said: "Schools should also frequently clean and disinfect areas particularly those where young children frequent.

We are asking school administrators to make an immediate report to the medical officers in their parish or to the Parish Health Department if they suspect that there may be cases of the illness in their school".

Unidentified woman dies in crash

Up to late last night, a woman who died as a result of injuries she sustained in an accident along the Washington Boulevard, St Andrew, yesterday, had not been identified, police said.

Reports are that about 5:50 a.m., the woman was a passenger in a black BMW motor car, travelling along the roadway towards Molynes Road.

It is alleged that the driver lost control of the vehicle, which then collided into a wall. The woman was flung from the vehicle, the police said.

She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. Police said investigations into the accident will continue.