Prime Minister Andrew Holness will be seeking to fill the vacancy in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as portfolio minister Floyd Green tendered his resignation just before noon on Wednesday (September 15).

The 39-year-old Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) member will, however, remain in the House of Representatives as the Member of Parliament for South West St Elizabeth.

The resignation comes amid a tidal of criticism after Green and a director of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) Andrew Bellamy were shown in now-viral videos making a mockery of coronavirus (COVID-19) containment protocols, as they celebrated at a birthday party for Gabrielle Hylton during no-movement day yesterday.

Bellamy also sits as a councillor in the JLP majority-led Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

Stay tuned for further updates.

Update (12:55 pm): Councillor for the Mona Division in St Andrew, Andrew Bellamy has also issued a public apology after mocking no-movement days.

Bellamy, in a statement on Twitter, said “the anger and disappointment based on the feedback received is regretted”.

He has tendered his resignation from the Board of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) as well as chairmanship of all committees within the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

Update (1:06 pm): Prime Minister Andrew Holness says there are “other areas” where Green’s expertise can be utilised following his resignation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

In a terse statement on Twitter, Holness said he met with Green earlier today where it was agreed that Minister Green would not continue in the Cabinet.