CHINA – Jamaica‘s health officials are keeping a close watch on happenings in China where a virus is causing overcrowding in hospitals and is reported to have spread to India, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan.

The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has seen a spike in cases across northern China, affecting children in particular. Photos and videos of people wearing masks in hospitals have so far emerged on social media platforms. On Monday, the Jamaica Observer spoke to the island’s Minister of Health and Wellness,
Dr Christopher Tufton, just before he and officials of his ministry went into a meeting on the matter. “Coming out of that meeting I will get a better brief. What we can say is that we are monitoring the situation. We are not yet in a position to give more than what we are picking up through that monitoring process and the conversations we are having with our multilateral partners — the World Health Organization (WHO) and PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) in particular. That’s normally where some of those decisions are taken based on their extensive reach in these jurisdictions and the conversations that they have with respective governments,” Tufton said. “We will have more to say later this week. We’re not yet in a position to issue any adverse warning except that it is being monitored and we’ll get more particulars and comment later,” he added. “For now we are really monitoring, consulting, and preparing, just in case, but this is not an advisory that represents any kind of emergency scenario — not as yet. (Jamaicaobserver)