The inflation rate for the month of November 2018, registered 0.0% – or completely unchanged. This is remarkably, the second unchanged reading of the year (with May being the first) and even more notably, only the second time in at least the last 9 years that STATIN has recorded an unchanged inflation rate for a month.
Inflation rate for the year to date now stands at 3.54% and diGJamaica projects that inflation will come in below 2017’s 5.25%.
The inflation rate for the fiscal year to date (April 2018 to March 2019) is now 4.21%, but with the prices of oil falling it is too early to tell if this will exceed last fiscal year’s inflation rate of 3.68%, although it is looking likely.
Point to point inflation (November 2017 to November 2018) is 4.08% versus last year’s figure of 4.97%.
“This movement was influenced by a 0.3 per cent increase in the index for the division ‘Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages’. This was as a result of higher prices for vegetables, starchy foods and fruits.
However this increase was tempered by a 0.8per cent decline in the division ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’ due mainly to reduced rates for electricity despite the increased rates for water and sewage. Additionally the ‘Transport’ division also
declined by 0.7 per cent as a result of a decrease in the price for petrol.”
Hopefully you enjoyed some of the decreases in the petrol, water, electricity and other fuel prices!
Following in the footsteps of Kaci Fennel and Davina Bennett, this year’s Ms. Universe Jamaica is Emily Sara-Claire Maddison.
Here are five things to know:
Emily is just 19 years old. She is a recent graduate from Campion College in Kingston Jamaica. Maddison notes that her youth allows her the opportunity to face each situation as a challenge as she rarely knows what to expect.
She plans to study psychology as she is fascinated by how the mind works.
Emily works with Girls Who Know Jamaica through which she advocates for sexual and reproductive health rights of our young girls.
She enjoys reading Manga and eating spicy food. Maddison is interested in following a healthy lifestyle and does yoga.
She also loves the outdoors, especially the beach, and often visits one of her favorite spots, Strawberry Fields Beach, with friends.
Emily just placed in the top 20 finalists out of 94 contestants in the Miss Universe competition 2018.
Government Senator Matthew Samuda says there will be no unfair advantages for manufacturers and distributors under the impending January 1, 2019, single-use plastic ban.
He was speaking at a ‘Consumer Talk’ on the ban, hosted by the National Consumers’ League, in association with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), at the Bureau of Standards recently.
“The plastic ban will be implemented through a ministerial order under the Trade Act of Jamaica. There won’t be unfair advantages for any business group in Jamaica, whether large or small,” he emphasised.
He said that under the Trade Act, plastic bags 24×24 inches, plastic drinking straws, and imported expanded polystyrene would not be allowed for manufacture, distribution and importation by any Jamaican company.
“What the ministerial order will allow the Government to do is reinforce the ban within the business community, rather than target individuals,” he said.
Senator Samuda pointed out that breaches of the plastic ban could result in fines of up to $2 million or imprisonment for a maximum of two years, as outlined in sections 11 and 13 of the Trade Act.
He noted that no tax incentives or concessions would be administered by the Government under the plastic ban.
In 2016, Senator Samuda tabled a motion to ban a range of plastic and expanded polystyrene products. On September 18, minister with responsibility for the environment, Daryl Vaz, announced a ban on single-use plastic effective January 1, 2019. Plastic items under the ban include plastic ‘scandal’ bags 24×24 inches, plastic drinking straws and the importation of expanded polystyrene products.
The Management of the Half Way Tree Transport Centre in St Andrew has been transferred from the Port Authority Management Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), to the Transport Authority.
The Port Authority Management Services Limited have been moved to the Transport Authority since the change took effect on September 1, 2018. Moving forward, the PAJ
This is an interesting turn of events as the PAJ was originally incorporated in 2007 with sole purpose of managing the Transport Centre Operations. The PAJ was appointed as the implementing agency for the construction of the centre and to be responsible for its management. In late 2016, it was agreed that the PAJ would be removed and the ownership would be transferred to the Transport Authority.
These changes were disclosed in a Ministry Paper from cabinet that was recently tabled in Parliament.
Our aim as an organization is to build a better Jamaica by building those individuals who often have no one to build them. We hope to foster a nation of caregivers with kindness and compassion at the core of who they are.
Amanda Johnson
Founder
Written by Danielle Mullings
Amanda Johnson, a student of St. Andrew High School for Girls, started Outreach Outlet in May 2018. This organization provides an avenue for teenagers, families, young adults and/or businesses to volunteer. Once an individual reaches out using her website, the service will be coordinated for them. All the individual has to do after that is show up. It’s that easy.
Outreach Outlet spreads its belief that students should participate in more community service activities. It provides a niche market as it caters for those who are unsure of the process behind volunteering at homes and organization, a market many Jamaican students and families represent.
diG Jamaica spoke with Amanda about her journey in creating Outreach Outlet. “My first project was a student from the Calabar High School”. Since then the organization has hosted students from The Immaculate Conception High School, St Andrew High School for Girls, Good Samaritan Club of St Andrew High and Prefects Association of Jamaica. Amanda noted the first family she hosted was that of Nadeen Matthews-Blair. The initiative has also been supported by a student of the Excelsior High School, Chesine McDonald. “Chesine donated her time to make Jamaican Sweets for all volunteers after discovering that I payed for each care package with my saved lunch money.”
One of Amanda’s biggest fears was that she wouldn’t have enough money or resources to execute it. For this reason, she did not act on the idea for years. It was not until attending a YCDI workshop that she found the courage to bring Outreach Outlet to life. “There is no better feeling than helping to build a nation. I never regret just taking that head first dive into doing what I love and watching it grow.”
Amanda sees the organization growing to be bigger than she has ever dreamed. She expressed her interest in expanding to accommodate international volunteer interests in addition to the current local market. Her team has also expanded to now include Ashleigh Onfroy – Social Media Manager and Diane Graham – Service Manager. Together, the Outreach Outlet team is committed to building Jamaica.
Here is Amanda’s advice to youth who have ideas they are afraid to do:
Find a safe space where you can bounce your ideas off others.
Keep people around you who inspire you to do more.
It will never be easy but it’s all about how much you want it, how determined you are, how disciplined you are and your faith in God. These attributes will serve as reminders that once there is a will, there is a way.
Amanda also mentioned her that she attended the Wonder Women Tech Conference (courtesy of YCDI) where the founder, Lisa Mae-Brunson, offered her words of encouragement – “If it’s your dream, show up and show out regardless of who comes and you will never regret it”.
Hopefully you are enjoying the lowest gas prices since March 15, 2018.
This is in part due to the lowest crude oil prices since July 16, 2017.
However, we know that Petrojam uses the Weekly Gulf Coast Reference Prices. This week’s USGC Ref Prices would be the lowest since June 23, 2017.
So why aren’t our prices the lowest since mid 2017? Simple answer is, taxes.
The last Revenue Measures brought taxes to their current levels:
SCT on Fuel
In fact, comparing the last time diGJamaica broke down Petrojam prices was March 2012. Let us look at them:
Petrojam Items March 8, 201Petrojam Items December 20 2018
As we can see here, the ex-refinery price for 87 gasoline today December 20, 2018 is actually $3.87 less than it was 6 years ago! However, taxes on the fuel have increased from J$25.43/litre to J$48.88 – a 92% increase.
For 90 gasoline, the increase in taxes is 91% and for auto diesel the increase is 97%.
What was the Gulf Reference Price in March 2012 you ask? US$3.12! More than twice the current price.
What about the crude oil price? The price of crude oil was over US$106 per barrel.
Additionally, taxes on fuels have been the main driver for Revenue Measures in our drive to move from direct to indirect taxation. Taxation on fuels has been projected to add J$23.6Bln to the Consolidated Fund since the 2015/16 fiscal year budget. (1)
So yes, oil prices are going down, and so are gulf reference prices. The prices at the pumps, however, aren’t returning to the good old days anytime soon.
Please find below Jamaica’s Ministry of Education calendar of school terms and holidays for the academic year 2018 to 2019. Here you will find opening and closing dates for Jamaican schools, when examinations are taking place, and official dates for holidays.
The first/CHRISTMAS TERM of the school year will commence on Monday, September 3, 2018 and end on Tuesday December 18, 2018. The Christmas Holidays will be Wednesday December 19, 2018 to Friday January 4, 2019. School will officially resume from Christmas Holidays on Monday January 7, 2019
The second/EASTER TERM of the school year will commence on Monday, January 7, 2019 and end on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. Easter Holidays will be on Thursday April 18, 2019 to Friday April 26, 2019. School will officially resume from Easter Holidays on Monday April 29, 2019
The third/SUMMER TERM of the school year will commence on Monday, April 29, 2019 and end on Friday, July 5, 2019. Summer Holidays will be on Monday, July 8, 2019 to Friday August 30, 2019.
The 2019/2020 School Year begins Monday, September 2, 2019
The following dates are suggested for Mid-Term Holidays:
CHRISTMAS TERM (National Heroes Day Midterm) – October 11 – 15, 2018.
School resumes Tuesday, October 16, 2018
EASTER TERM (Ash Wednesday Midterm) – March 6 – 8, 2019.
School resumes Monday, March 11, 2019
SUMMER TERM (Labour Day Midterm) – May 22 – 24, 2019.
School resumes Monday, May 27, 2019
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Monday, October 15, 2018 – National Heroes Day
Tuesday, December 25, 2018 – Christmas Day
Wednesday December 26, 2018 – Boxing Day
Tuesday, January 1, 2019 – New Year’s Day
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 – Ash Wednesday
Friday, April 19, 2019 – Good Friday
Monday, April 22, 2019 – Easter Monday
Thursday, May 23, 2019 – Labour Day
Thursday, August 1, 2019 – Emancipation Day
Tuesday August 6, 2019 – Independence Day
Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Professional Development Days TEACHERS’ IN-SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (SUMMER)
Primary School Teachers – July 8 – 19, 2019
Secondary School Teachers – July 22 – 26, 2019
CHRISTMAS TERM – Thursday, October 11, 2018
EASTER TERM – Friday, March 8, 2019
SUMMER TERM – Wednesday, May 22, 2019
EXAMINATION DATES
Early Childhood Age 4 Assessment – March 11 – April 12, 2019
Grade One Individual Learning Profile (GOILP) – August 27 – September 14, 2019
Grade Nine Achievement Tests (GNAT) – May 10, 2019
Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Ability Test – February 22, 2019
Primary Exit Profile (PEP) CBT – April 17 and 18, 2019
Grade 4 Performance Task – May 30 and 31, 2019
Grade 5 Performance Task – June 20 – 21, 2019
Vocational School Leaving Certificate Examination (VCLCE) – June 10 – 21, 2019
Grade Three Diagnostic – June 5 and 6, 2019
Jamaica School Certificate (JSC) – July 8 – 12, 2019
CSEC, CAPE and CVQ Examination Dates
CSEC (January 2019)
Registration: August 20, 108 – October 4, 2018
Examination Dates: January 2, 2019 – January 18, 2019
CSEC (June 2019)
Registration: October 1, 2018 – November 27, 2018
Examination Dates: May 6, 2019 – June 7, 2019
CAPE (June 2019)
Registration: October 1, 2018 – November 27, 2018
Examination Dates: May 6, 2019 – June 7, 2019
CVQ (June 2019)
Registration: September 1, 2018 – January 24, 2019
Examination Dates: Coursework to be uploaded May 1, 2019 to June 10, 2019. Online Registration System opens for submission of completed units. Schools should submit the following documents to the Overseas Examinations Commissions:
While the Jamaican startup ecosystem is growing fast, many aspiring entrepreneurs don’t know about all of the local resources available. Turns out that lots of people and organizations are doing lots of things in the start-up/innovation/entrepreneurship space. Since startup ecosystems can be fragmented, and hidden to newcomers – which is detrimental for local startups and community growth – here at diG Jamaica, we are trying to help share information to help foster collaboration and growth.
According to statistics, 2018 saw 1,287 murders, down sharply by almost 22% from the 1,641 murders observed in 2017. This number was even below that of 2016, but slightly ahead of 2015.
Even with the reduced murder count, 2018’s murder rate of 47 per 100,000 inhabitants placed Jamaica among the most homicidal nations in the world, putting us in the same category as nations such as Lesotho, Venezuela and Honduras.
2017 Murders by Parish
2018 Murders by Parish
On January 18, 2018 a State of Public Emergency was declared in St. James. This was kept in effect for the duration of 2018, the result was a dramatic fall in murders in the parish from 2017. In terms of murders per 100,000 inhabitants (murder rate), St. James went from the second in 2017 (behind Kingston) to fourth in 2018 (behind Kingston, Westmoreland and Hanover). However, the murder rate dropped from 183 persons per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017 to 55 persons per 100,000 inhabitants, giving St. James the best improvement of all parishes.
Meanwhile, on March 18, 2018 a State of Public Emergency was declared in specific areas of St. Catherine. The murder rate also decreased in St. Catherine, from 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017 to 37 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018, a 21% improvement.
Zones of Special Operations have been ongoing in the Mount Salem community of St. James since September 1, 2017 and in the Denham Town community in Kingston since October 17, 2017. Kingston saw some “improvement” with the murder rate moving from 189 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017, to 169 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018, an 11% improvement.
Overall, 10 parishes showed improvement, while 4 parishes had increases in the number of homicides. The parishes increasing were: St. Thomas, Portland, St. Mary and Trelawny.
2017 Murder Rate by Parish2018 Murder Rate by Parish
Hopefully, the corrective actions taken during the course of 2017 and 2018 in concert with economic growth and strengthening social safety nets will continue to bear positive fruit.
In 2008, the Government of Jamaica declared February as ‘Reggae Month’ to highlight the impact of the musical genre on the country’s social, cultural and economic development as “a month of activity was necessary in order to sharpen the focus and draw the attention of the world to this powerful asset that is wholly Jamaican” (JIS News).
See below for a full calendar of this year’s activities – concerts, films, lectures and more. Be sure to check out our extensive section on reggae and reggae month featuring historical facts, artiste profiles, playlists and more.
February is Reggae Month. Traditionally, February is celebrated as Black History Month in the United States, Canada and the UK. However, Reggae Month in the Caribbean is February. Here are some facts about Reggae Month.
The first ever celebration of Reggae Month took place in 2007 on the grounds of the Edna Manley College of Visual Arts for 3 years
Reggae Month was officially declared by Sir Kenneth Hall, former Governor General of Jamaica on January 24, 2008 and is produced by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) in partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board and the CHASE Fund
Reggae Month events include concerts, poetry readings, festivals, award shows, book launches and lectures. See the full Reggae Month schedule
Reggae Month features various genres of Jamaican Music including Ska, Dub, Gospel, mento, classical, folk and rockers
Every year Reggae Month is celebrated under a different theme. In 2019, it is “Celebrating Reggae’s Legacy”
The 2nd Regional Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) Conference of the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) will be held under the theme “Improving Sustainability Through Resource Development” on April 16-18, 2019 in Kingston.
The Inaugural Regional MSME Conference in 2017 hosted 185 participants, 62 of which represented 28 countries from across the region. This year’s conference is expected to facilitate the gathering of a broad mix of stakeholders, particularly business owners, innovators, regulators, buyers and sellers of goods and services who will be networking, collaborating, promoting their capabilities and brands, developing new business and outsourcing opportunities.
AUDIENCE PROFILE
Micro and Small Business Owners offering products and services located locally and regionally who are interested in scaling their businesses and making their processes more efficient using automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and technology. Consultants, business counsellors, microfinance providers and policy makers are also included.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
Facilitating exposure to new trends in business development and management
Promoting success stories among MSMEs
Examining MSME policy within a context of macro-economic strategy and its impact on business profitability
Providing a forum for B2B interaction to explore opportunities for national, regional and international business collaboration/linkages
Exposing participants to new technologies and research and development in agriculture as well as climate smart innovation
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Strengthened networking among MSMEs in the region
More productive business linkages
Increased compliance though greater understanding of the policy and regulatory environment
More advanced approach to entrepreneurship and the use of best practices
Increased knowledge of technological advances and cutting-edge applications
Greater commitment to supporting MSME associations and agencies
According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, here are the highlights for the July – September 2018 quarter for the Jamaican Economy.
Q3 2018 vs Q3 2017
Q3 2018 vs Q3 2017 recorded 1.8% growth in the economy where:
Goods Producing Industries increased by 5.1%
Services Industries increased by 0.7%
Goods Producing Industries
The positive performance of the Goods Producing Industries was due to increased output in Mining & Quarrying (51.0%) – with the reopening of the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO) Alpart Refinery – and Construction (3.7%) – with increased activities in the civil engineering sub-groups and work associated with the continued expansion of road infrastructure. A decline was noted in Manufacturing (0.3%) while Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing remained unchanged.
Service Industries
All industries within the Services Industries recorded higher levels of output with two exceptions:
Hotels & Restaurants: 2.1%
Transport, Storage & Communication: 1.4%
Other Services: 1.2%
Wholesale & Retail; Repairs; Installation of Machinery & Equipment: 0.8%
Finance & Insurance Services: 0.7%
Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities: 0.5%
Electricity & Water Supply: -0.1%
Producers of Government Services – 0.0%
Q3 2018 vs Q2 2018
Q3 2018 vs Q2 2018 recorded 1.1% growth in the economy where:
“The Annual Budget indicates what will be done with the finances of the country over the course of a year. The purpose of the Budget is to decide how much money the Government plans to expend on security, roads, water, housing and other services it provides. The Budget Debate provides the Government with the opportunity to take stock of its performance over the previous fiscal year, to measure its progress in relation to the targets previously set and to assess the effectiveness of its management of the country’s finances.” – JIS
The Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, and the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, confer in Parliament
Financial Year 2019/2020 Budget Debate Schedule
Feb 13, 2019 – Prorogation of Parliament
Feb 14, 2019 – Opening of New Session of Parliament; Laying of the Estimates of Expenditure
Mar 4-5, 2019 – Standing Finance Committee
Mar 7, 2019 – The Minister of Finance and the Public Service to open the Budget Debate
Mar 12, 2019 – The Opposition Spokesperson on Finance
Mar 14, 2019 – The Leader of the Opposition
Mar 19, 2019 – The Honourable Prime Minister
Mar 20, 2019 – The Minister of Finance and the Public Service to close the Budget Debate
Mar 22, 2019 – The Honourable Senate to Debate the Budget
Visit the JIS Budget Watch page for more information about what the budget debate is, glossary and links to speeches.
Murders In Jamaica 2004-2018, Sources: Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica Constabulary Force Crime Stats, STATIN
Jamaica has seen, officially, 20,729 persons murdered in the period 2004 to 2018, an average of 1,382 persons per year or just under 4 per day for 15 years – someone is murdered every 6.3 hours in Jamaica, for the last 15 years! For those with statistical minds, the median was very similar at 1,354 persons.
Thankfully, 2018 saw Jamaica fall below both our mean and median and 2019 will hopefully continue this trend. We’ve seen peaks in 2005 (1,674), 2007 (1,583), 2008 (1,618), 2009 (1,683) and 2017 (1,641). While we have also seen three “low” periods in 2011 (1,124), 2012 (1,099) and 2014 (1,005).
What is more troubling is the explosive rise in murders in normally quiet parishes.
Source: Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica Constabulary Force Crime Stats, STATIN
Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine have always been troubled parishes, but the meteoric rise in St. James was very disturbing and subsequently arrested by multiple Zones of Special Operations and States of Emergencies.
1. Clarendon also saw murders more than double from 2012 to 2017 before falling in 2018, but still more than 58% above 2012 levels.
2. Westmoreland, better known for sun, sand and relaxation moved from 68 murders in 2012 to 141 murders in 2018, an increase of 107%!
Other dramatic increases from 2012 to 2018 include:
3. Trelawny + 100%
4. St. Mary + 89%
5. Hanover + 59%
6. Portland + 50%
7. St. Thomas + 35%
Parishes that have seen increases from 2012, but less dramatic include:
8. St. Andrew + 29%
9. Kingston + 18%
10. The only parish that was unchanged from 2012 was St. Ann with exactly 48 murders in both 2012 and 2018.
Parishes that saw the number of murders decline from 2012 to 2018 are the few lucky ones
The Gleaner has a series of articles called Weed Ed which features facts and opinion pieces on weed, ganja, marijuana, cannabis and related topics. Here are the links:
The Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world. It is the single largest generator of foreign exchange and employment in many countries in the region.
What is the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre?
The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) will be established in Jamaica to deal with climate-related issues. It is aimed at assessing, forecasting, mitigating and managing risks related to tourism resilience, caused by various disruptive factors. These disruptions may include climate change and natural disasters, cybercrime, cybersecurity, pandemics, terrorism, war, population and the changing funding models. The facility will include a Sustainable Tourism Observatory.
What will the Centre do?
The Centre is tasked with creating, producing and generating toolkits, guidelines and policies to handle the recovery process following a disaster. It will also assist with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods
Where is the Centre located?
The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is based at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies.
Who are the partners?
According to the Minister of Tourism, there are ‘ partners on every continent”
Partners include the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); World Travel and Tourism Council; Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Caribbean Tourism Organisation; and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).
Partnerships are being explored with universities, and other players within the airline and cruise sectors.
When will the Centre open?
The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is expected to be fully operational by September 2019.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Anyone can get flu, but certain people are more likely to develop serious flu illness that can result in hospitalization or even death. Those people include:
Children younger than 5 years, but especially younger than 2 years old
Adults 65 years of age and older
Pregnant women (and women up to two weeks postpartum)
Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
Also, people who have certain chronic medical conditions, including:
Asthma
Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions (including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy [seizure disorders], stroke, intellectual disability [mental retardation], moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury)
Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
Kidney disorders
Liver disorders
Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
People younger than 19 years of age who are taking aspirin or salicylate-containing medications
People with extreme obesity (body mass index [BMI} of 40 or greater)”
Children – Complications From Flu
According to the CDC:
“Complications from flu among children in younger than 5 years old can include:
Pneumonia: an illness where the lungs get infected and inflamed
Dehydration: when a child’s body loses too much water and salts, often because fluid losses are greater than from fluid intake)
Worsening of long-term medical problems like heart disease or asthma
Brain dysfunction such as encephalopathy
Sinus problems and ear infections
In rare cases, flu complications can lead to death.”
Pregnant Women – When To Seek Urgent Care
According to the CDC:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Persistent dizziness, confusion, inability to arouse
Seizures
Not urinating
Severe muscle pain
Severe weakness or unsteadiness
Fever or cough that improve but then return or worsen
High fever that is not responding to Tylenol® (or store brand equivalent)
Decreased or no movement of your baby
Things To Do To Prevent The Flu
In the recent flu alert, the Ministry of Health provided these tips:
Avoid close contact to prevent getting sick too
Stay home when sick
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
Wash your hands often with soap and water to help protect you from germs
Keep dirty hands away from your eyes, mouth and nose
Practice good health habits – exercise, eat healthy, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids. See here for 5 Cold and Flu Prevention Tips
Here’s links to two online resources provided by agencies of the Government of Jamaica to help start and grow your business.
The Knowledge Resource Centre (KRC) at JAMPRO
Are you looking for current and relevant information to aid your trade and investment ventures? Try the Knowledge Resource Center (KRC) of JAMPRO, an Agency of the Government of Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) that ‘promotes business opportunities in export and investment to the local and international private sector’.
The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) Entrepreneurial Journey Website
The DBJ provides funding and technical assistance to large projects, as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in recognition of their importance as the engine of economic growth and development, especially in small economies.
Designed with these MSMEs in mind, the DBJ Entrepreneurial Journey mini-site supports business growth through each stage of the business life cycle. The mini-site has information presented in an informative and interactive manner.
Inflation rate for the year to date now stands at 3.54% and diGJamaica projects that inflation will come in below 2017’s 5.25%.
The following is from the Ministry of Health.
