More than 500 community roads have been cleared, restoring access to numerous communities affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday.

This was announced by Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie during a special media briefing at Jamaica House on Friday.

“The Municipal Corporations have been doing their fair share of work, and over the last couple of days [regarding] community roads [or] municipal roads and over 500 of those roads have been cleared and there is free access in many communities,” he said.

Minister McKenzie noted that while significant progress has been made, several parishes continue to face serious challenges due to the extent of the damage caused by the category-five cyclone, which affected Jamaica on Tuesday, October 28.

“I must stress the point that in the parishes that are severely impacted, work is being done but the challenges there are extreme,” he said, adding that more work will be done in coming days to ensure the roads are cleared.

McKenzie further indicated that parish disaster committees have been meeting continuously to assess conditions and coordinate ongoing response activities.