Minister of Local Government and Community Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has expressed great sadness at the passing today of former Mayor of May Pen, and Councillor for the Mineral Heights Division Milton Brown.

“This is a great loss for the system of Local Government. Milton was a highly effective Mayor. I can personally attest to his vision and hard work, to improve the institutional capacity of local government in Clarendon in the two terms he served as Chairman of the Clarendon Parish Council, from 2003 to 2012. As Mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew during that time, I also got to see first-hand, his commitment to local governance and his effective advocacy as President of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica (ALGAJ).

“Since becoming Councillor for the Mineral Heights Division in 1998, Milton Brown endeared himself to his Constituents, and provided them with a special brand of leadership. His twenty-two years of dedicated service to the people of Clarendon has come to an end today. He was always a fighter, a driven individual, and he rallied against ill-health in the last few months. Even as I express condolences to his immediately family, friends and the wider family in the Mineral Heights Division and the Jamaica Labour Party, I give thanks for his years of devoted, outstanding service to the party, to local government and to Jamaica.

“This is a time of great loss for all of us, but in everything, I am grateful for the time that the Almighty loaned him to us. We will miss him, and pray that God’s perpetual light will shine on him.”

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Honourable Desmond McKenzie says the anniversary of the Eventide Home fire, presents an opportunity to reflect on the strides that have been made in securing our vulnerable population who live in State care.

Forty years ago today, on the morning of May 20, 1980, 153 elderly women were killed at the Myers Ward of the 110-year-old Eventide Home for the Aged, in a fire that was officially categorized as being of unknown origin.

“I had just entered my sixth year as a Councillor of the Kingston & St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) when this terrible event occurred. The KSAC had the responsibility for the general upkeep of Eventide Home, which was located at Slipe Pen Road in Kingston, and was at the time the main care Home for the elderly in the corporate area. I will never forget that fire. 153 women were burnt to death, and only 58 escaped with their lives.

“After the General Election of October 1980, the new Administration led by the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, took on the task of creating a new facility for the residential care of the elderly and otherwise vulnerable in the corporate area. That led to the construction of the Vineyard Town Golden Age Home, which continues to this day to be a vital place of care, companionship, refuge and dignity for our elderly.

“The Eventide Home fire led to a national day of mourning on May 26, 1980, and as a country, we paid tribute to the victims, our mothers and grandmothers, and we expressed our condolences. For me however, that fire is one of the strong motivations for my decision to be a lifelong servant of the local government system…our vulnerable at every level must always be protected, and an incident such as the Eventide Home Fire must never ever happen again.

“Today, I use the anniversary of this tragedy to once again pay homage to the women who died, to salute their families, and to say that the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development will continue to develop the projects, policies and programmes, from the expansion of Drop-In Centres, to the expansion and upgrading of our Infirmaries island-wide, that have made life a better and more dignified experience for our elderly who are in residential care.”

Organisers of the 7th Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean have postponed the event to a date to be announced.

The announcement was made by Minister of Local Government and Community Development and Chairman of the Planning Committee, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, after discussions with Platform stakeholders and members of the coordinating bodies.

“The decision to postpone the 7th Regional Platform was taken in light of the global pandemic that is the novel corona virus. The health and safety of not just the Jamaican people but the delegates that would be attending from the wider region had to be taken into consideration. We regret having to postpone the event but when hazards such as this presents itself, it cannot be business as usual. Our focus is now on controlling the virus to reduce its spread,” Minister McKenzie said.

The Regional Platform, which was scheduled for July in Montego Bay, St. James, was being organised by the Government of Jamaica, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

Jamaica will be the first Caribbean country to host the Regional Platform and has already instituted significant changes such as an amendment to the conference name and the inclusion of a youth forum on the agenda.

“We are very proud of the work we have already done for this Platform and we are looking at possible dates to move it to. Once we have jointly settled on a date, that announcement will be made. We are taking this time to ensure that when we do stage the event, it will be the best one yet,” Minister McKenzie said.

Persons requiring further information may contact the organising committee by emailing [email protected] and [email protected].

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Honourable Desmond McKenzie has expressed sorrow at the tragic death of three year old Kadjahni Falconer, who perished in a fire over the weekend at Mason Hall in St. Mary, and the injuries suffered by his father, who is a member of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, as he entered the burning building in an attempt to save his son’s life.

The incident occurred Sunday, April 26.

“There are hardly any words that I can say in circumstances such as this…to lose your child is utterly painful. It is very clear that his father, who is now in hospital, did everything he could to save his life. We, the family of the Jamaica Fire Brigade and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, mourn with him, the rest of his immediate family and friends. We will be reaching out to offer support through this extremely traumatic experience.”

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has expressed dismay and disappointment at comments made by Opposition Spokesperson on Local Government, Natalie Neita. The Opposition Spokesperson called on the Minister to fully mobilize Disaster Committees and Social Agencies in the fight against COVID-19.

“It is amazing to hear the Opposition Spokesperson speak as though all the organs of the Local Government and Community Development Ministry are not already fully up and running. The Ministry, the Local Authorities, all our Agencies including the Social Development Commission and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, have been and continue to be fully engaged and active as we work to see the back of COVID-19 in Jamaica.

“The reality is that from the time the very first case of the virus was announced, I initially met will all Mayors on March 13.

Through this and subsequent meetings, we agreed on a clear and comprehensive plan to address all the areas and people we serve, including the homeless, our vulnerable in the Infirmaries and Golden Age Homes, and the management of the country’s Markets. We have had many meetings not only with the Mayors but with the range of stakeholders from Matrons to Poor Relief Officers to Disaster Co-ordinators. In fact, our structures were modified to deal with COVID-19, as they were already activated and dealing with the challenges posed by Dengue fever.

“Let me also say in this regard, that I invited the Opposition Spokesperson on Local Government to a meeting of the National Health Committee on March 18, which she attended and participated in. I therefore regard her comments as disingenuous, politically mischievous, and a failed attempt to stem the good tide of public understanding and support that this Administration is receiving, as we work to protect our citizens against this pandemic. For the removal of any possible doubt, and for the public record, we have:

1.Initiated and intensified specific security and sanitary protocols for all Infirmaries and Golden Age Homes. These include restrictions on visits and the prohibition of new admissions, the use of sanitary stations and Infrared Thermometers, the creation of Isolation Areas to take care of any residents who may contract the virus, and the wearing of special sanitary clothing by Infirmary employees who directly attend to residents in these care facilities.

2.The Social Development Commission continues to support our efforts at promoting personal hygiene and social distancing in public spaces, especially our Markets, by using Town Criers to spread these messages in every single parish. The SDC is also engaging in the updated mapping of vulnerable people to ensure an even more targeted social response.

3.The Ministry has spent nearly J$300 million to address the direct needs of our most vulnerable. These moneys have been used to assist the Municipal Corporations to sanitise public spaces, and to boost their collective capacity to implement sanitary protocols by employing an additional 120 persons. Just as importantly, this figure includes J$140 million allocated to all elected representatives at the local level, for care programmes for the vulnerable in the 229 Divisions island-wide. All Mayors were allocated J$750,000 each in this regard, and all Councillors have been allocated J$600,000.

4.Over J$3 million has been spent to procure fresh agricultural produce from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), to provide nutritional support to residents in Infirmaries, Golden Age Homes and Drop-In Centres. Over 500 trays of eggs have also been obtained in this regard.

5.The Ministry, in partnership with entities such as Food for the Poor, the Salvation Army, the National Health Fund and the Grace Kennedy Group, has distributed food, drink and medical supplies including oxygen tanks. Desnoes & Geddes has donated $6 million in Malta drinks to assist our nutritional support efforts. Through our special partnership with Digicel, 100 foot-operated hand-washing stations valued at $3 million, will be imported for use in public spaces.

6.Since the special programme of feeding and addressing the hygiene needs of our homeless population started on March 29, over 28,461 meals, and 3,240 care packages have been distributed. Over 20,000 people have benefited from this intervention so far, and we will continue to provide this support. Our Drop-In Centres continue to be spaces of comfort and refuge for our homeless population, and the sanitary protocols and temperature checks are also being implemented at all locations. Since the retrofitting of the shelter for the homeless on Church Street in Kingston, over 500 visits have been made to the facility, which is attended by Patient Care Assistants and secured by the Municipal Police.

7.The RONA Senior Care Helpline is up and running and is already proving to be a welcome source of information and logistical support for our senior citizens.

“It is clear therefore that all the moving parts of this Ministry are up and running. Our Disaster Co-ordinators, who are critical and named functionaries in the National Disaster Risk Management Council, which the Prime Minister has authorized me to manage on a daily basis, are fully on the job. The mobilization of which the Opposition Spokesperson speaks must therefore be for some other disaster or national challenge in the future, but most certainly does not apply to COVID-19.

“I want to give the public assurance that the fight against this disease is being undertaken with sensitivity and flexibility. In this regard, our effectiveness will be even more greatly enhanced, as our Ministry, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, on the instructions of the Most Honourable Prime Minister, will creatively align our talents and resources to ensure greater public access to the medical and social interventions being implemented by the Government of Jamaica.”

Following the announcement of special containment measures for St. Catherine by the Most Honourable Prime Minister yesterday, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has implemented heightened sanitary and security protocols for all the facilities in the parish for which it is responsible.

INFIRMARY CARE
Minister of Local Government and Community Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie says the interests of the elderly and the homeless have been specially emphasized. “We have intensified the management of all the care procedures at the St. Catherine Infirmary. All authorized persons who come to the facility, whether as service providers or staff, will in addition to the sanitizing requirements have their temperatures checked every time. This is not optional. We have also established special measures to secure the Infirmary. I also wish to re-emphasize that all markets in St. Catherine are closed.”

SPECIAL HELPLINE ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST THE ELDERLY
The RONA Helpline Senior Care Response initiative has been designed to help senior citizens with:
1. Medical care assistance including transportation to health care facilities for urgent care and non-financial assistance to obtain medication.
2. Non-financial assistance to obtain groceries from supermarkets, markets etc.
3. Other critical or urgent needs on a case by case basis.
For St. Catherine, the Helpline number is 876-907-4056. The Ministry’s contact numbers in this regard are 876-618-8218, 876-879-8948, 876-879-8950.

THE HOMELESS
Minister McKenzie says enhanced arrangements have been made to care for the 171 homeless people in St. Catherine. “We have organized our efforts around specific locations in Spanish Town, Linstead and Old Harbour, to take our homeless population off the streets of the parish and to keep them indoors during the period of the lockdown.
We will continue to feed them twice per day and attend to their hygiene needs and test their temperatures, in keeping with the special island-wide programme that we started on March 29.”

SPECIAL PUBLIC HAND WASHING MACHINES TO BE INSTALLED THROUGH MINISTRY/ PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP WITH DIGICEL
The Local Government and Community Development Minister says 100 special foot-operated hand-washing machines, valued at J$3.5 million will soon be available for public use. “This special partnership between the Ministry and Digicel, will result in these machines being in the island in the next few weeks. We will be placing them in various strategic locations around the country, as we emphasize personal hygiene in the fight against COVID-19.”

MLGCD CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT SPECIAL AND GENERAL INITIATIVES AND OPERATIONS
Minister McKenzie stressed that the Ministry and its Agencies continue to perform essential functions, such as public cleansing.
“The National Solid Waste Management Authority is still working to provide a clean environment. With special reference to St. Catherine, uniformed employees are on the job, and arrangements have been made to give the contractors who have to drive around the parish to collect the garbage, the required documentation to facilitate their movement.”
“The Ministry is also spending J$3 million, to purchase 6 weeks’ supply of agricultural produce through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, to assist in our efforts to feed the residents in our fifteen Infirmaries and Golden Age Homes, and the homeless population across Jamaica.”
“I appeal to the people of St. Catherine to co-operate fully with all the measures announced, so that COVID-19 can be effectively rallied against. I appeal more widely to the people of Jamaica, to treat this disease with the seriousness it deserves, and to practice personal responsibility as the key to preventing and containing it.”

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has apologized for the arrests of homeless persons who were on the streets of the Corporate Area during curfew hours last night.

“I want to really say sorry about this. I have asked the police to take any homeless persons they encounter during the curfew to an additional 100-bed shelter that we are retrofitting right now on Church Street, to accommodate them overnight. The facility will be ready later today, and homeless persons can come this evening, and stay there. Bear in mind that the Marie Atkins Night Shelter is already up and running. Arrangements are also being made concerning homeless persons in the rest of the country.”

The Local Government Minister reiterated that the special feeding programme for the homeless, which began on Sunday, will continue, and the scheduled feeding hours are unaffected by the curfew hours.

“Specifically, ready-to-eat breakfast packages will be distributed between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.. Dinner will be served beginning at 2:30 p.m..We will also be giving them care packages every Friday.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica (March 30, 2020): Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, has expressed condolences at news of the tragic death of an employee of the St. Thomas Infirmary.

Mrs. Leonie Smith-Wilson, who has been a member of staff at the Infirmary since 2015, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Sunday, while heading to work.

“This is distressing news for me, as well as for her colleagues at the Infirmary. They, like similar staff members across the country, are part of the frontline in the fight against Covid-19 and have been working to protect our vulnerable citizens. She was just 38 years old,” the Minister stated.

“I want to express my heartfelt sympathies to her husband, her children, her extended family and friends. I also want the members of staff at the St. Thomas Infirmary to know that my prayers are with them. I urge them to be of good courage, even as they go through this unwelcome and traumatic experience.”