With a global surge in COVID-19 cases and Caribbean countries such as St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago reporting new variants of the virus in their country, the question looms as to whether Jamaica should be concerned about another possible outbreak of the virus.

In a release on Monday, health authorities in St Lucia confirmed the presence of the Omicron HV.1 variant in the country, as well as an increase in flu-like symptoms, particularly in children less than five years old.

Less than a week prior, Trinidad and Tobago received confirmation of its first case belonging to the COVID JN.1 sub-variant. Additionally, the island reported increased hospitalisation of COVID patients and deaths connected to the virus.

While there have been no report that either variants causes more severe illnesses, both variants are known to spread more quickly than their predecessors from person-to-person.

As the global community remains on high alert due to the Omicron variant’s potential for increased transmissibility, questions have emerged about whether Jamaicans should be worried. However, questions posed by Our Today went unanswered by both the Ministry of Health and Wellness and Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton.

The last update on the state of COVID-19 in Jamaica was on January 8, with the health ministry recording eight new cases and no death. Additionally, no new variant was detected. 

While the reported number of COVID cases is low, Jamaica’s reliance on tourism, particularly from North America and Europe, raises concerns about the potential implications of global developments, such as the new Omicron variants and surge in infection globally.

In a release by the Trinidad and Tobago health authorities, it was speculated that the surge in cases was due to the increased movement of individuals during the Christmas season and Carnival seasons.

With Jamaica continuously recording an increase in tourist arrivals and its proximity to other Caribbean countries that experiencing a surge in cases, the question of whether travel restrictions and other protective measures need to be reinstated require urgent response.