Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Daryl Vaz, has announced that as of Thursday, November 6, Flow Jamaica has restored 80 per cent of pre-hurricane mobile traffic, with priority given to the hardest hit areas and key towns.

These areas include Negril, Savanna-la-Mar, Falmouth, and Black River. Efforts are now focused on restoring mobile services in other less-affected areas.

“For fixed internet, 42 per cent of FLOW customers are now online, with another 23 per cent able to connect once power is restored. Kingston and St Andrew have 83 per cent of customers who can already access the internet,” Vaz said.

The minister also declared that the toll remains open and that this position has been evaluated very carefully. “The Fern Gully, which is the only other access outside of the junction, St Mary, which is not an option, is still single lane traffic and has severe flooding issues. Therefore, it is important that the aid that’s going to St Ann, Trelawny, Montego Bay, Hanover, have access to a good road network.

“I will announce in due course when the toll will be reinstated. As for east-west, which is going towards Manchester, down into St Elizabeth, down into Westmoreland, that is where a lot of the relief operations are taking place by road. And therefore, it is the position of the government (9:09) that we must facilitate that to be able to get a quick and speedy recovery,” he added.

Transportation and Ports

Vaz also announced while speaking at a special press briefing on Tuesday, November 6, that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) continues to assist with disaster relief supplies, and also for personnel, both government-related and those NGOs who are requesting transportation.

“We are doing so free of cost. This is a big one now,” he noted.

Vaz said at the Sangsters International Airport, as of November 5, 49 flights were staged, including 22 passenger and 27 cargo. For November 6th, 31 flights are scheduled, all passenger and cargo operations.

At Norman Manley International Airport, operations have resumed. And on November 5th, 48 flights operated, including passenger, cargo, military and private flights, with 42 flights scheduled for November 6th. Importantly, no scheduled flights have been cancelled at both airports in recent times.

He also announced that the Port of Kingston has fully reopened.

“Kingston was provided 10,000 square feet of warehouse space for the JDF [Jamaica Defence Force], for humanitarian aid, and of course, free port services for relief vessels and discounted handling for relief cargo to speed up deliveries to the West.

“All major harbours across Jamaica have now been safely reopened, with Kingston Harbour as the first to resume operations on October 29th, followed by Montego Bay, Portland, Black, Rocky Point on October 31st, Rio Buena and Discovery Bay on November 1st, while Ocho Rios, Falmouth, and Port Antonio resumed on November 3rd,” he continued.