Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton says 21 children from six primary schools were brought to the Bustamante Hospital for Children with reports of minor injuries and anxiety after the 5.6-magnitude earthquake yesterday.

Tufton, who was speaking at a press conference post-earthquake on Monday night, said that the children arrived at the hospital at about 3 p.m. from nearby primary schools.

Four were admitted for observation, three with mild head injuries, and one post-seizure, who is a known epileptic patient. He revealed that up to the time of the press conference, 10 of the children had been discharged, and the others had not yet complete the observation process.

There were also 14 children seen at the accidents and emergency department of the Spanish Town Hospital with episodes of anxiety. Tufton said the children were clinically stable and sent home.

The Kingston Public Hospital had one trauma patient who fell from a tree and was admitted with muscular and skeleton injuries. Two patients were also seen at the Linstead Public Hospital for injuries sustained during the earthquake.

“Generally speaking, as is the case that we expect with emergencies of this kind [and] natural disasters, the result is trauma, depression, anxiety, stress, and so we’re going to be putting out some advisories from the ministry to identify some of the symptoms,” said Tufton.

Some of the symptoms of anxiety include difficulty breathing, chest and muscle pains, feeling faint or light-headed, stomach ache, among others.

Citizens who are experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to consult their doctors.

Jamaica was hit by a 5.6-magnitude earthquake, the strongest in 30 years, on Monday about 10:57 a.m. The quake was felt mainly on the eastern side of the island, with multiple reports of minor-to-medium infrastructure damage.