ODPEM to airlift relief supplies to marooned communities

The head of the island's disaster relief agency says it and its partner agencies will be airlifting supplies today to communities that have been marooned following the passage of Hurricane Sandy last Wednesday.

Director-General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson says the communities are in the hilly interior of the four worst affected parishes: Portland, St Mary, St Thomas and St Andrew. He says humanitarian support will also be given to residents of Manchioneal in Portland where 52 people are still in shelter at the Machioneal Primary School.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health says it has resumed its vector control operations, which had been suspended, due to the passage of Hurricane Sandy.

Speaking with the Jamaica Information Service at the start of the weekend, Director of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the ministry, Dr Marion Bullock Ducasse said teams had been deployed to assist in destroying breeding sites.

Dr Bullock Ducasse says spraying and fogging will also resume. She says all parishes will resume vector control activities, including spraying and fogging this week and that a schedule of the activities will be provided.