(CMR) Jamaica on Sunday (August 30) recorded its largest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases, in addition to one new coronavirus-related death.
According to the country's Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), Jamaica recorded 245 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours; bringing the island's total to 2,357.
The latest casualty of the virus is a 28-year-old woman from St James.
Jamaica now has 1,374 active cases, including 14 moderately ill patients and four critically ill patients.
The country had been seeing double digit increases in it's COVID-19 numbers for over a week and the latest spike has some very concerned about the upcoming general election on September 3.
Under Jamaican law, an election can only be postponed under extenuating circumstances for a maximum 30 days after the date has been set.
While it is anyone's guess, if the situation will actually improve in thirty days, some have begun to hurl blame at Prime Minister Andrew Holness for calling the general election in the first place, citing it was not constitutionally due till 2021.
In the country's latest political debates, Holness was asked why he on August 10 announced the date for the general election, despite a small spike in cases.
Holness responded saying that the pandemic would only end if there is a vaccine.
“We would never do anything to place the lives of the Jamaican people at risk. The pandemic will only end when there is a safe and widely distributed vaccine,” said Holness.
“This may be between a year and a half to two years according to some experts. This will be well outside of the constitutional limits to call an election. Jamaica is still considered to be one of the countries that has managed the pandemic extremely well,” added Holness.
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