OPERATION: MOSQUITO SEARCH AND DESTROY
The St. Catherine leg of the ZIKA-V cleanup operation, dubbed 'Operation: Mosquito Search and Destroy' kicked off Saturday February 20, 2016 in Old Braeton and Reid's Pen, Portmore. Following which, a launch was also held at the St. Catherine Parish Council that subsequently took the team and host of volunteers into the Rivoli community, Spanish Town.
Speaking at the launch, Acting Chief Medical Officer Health, Dr. Winston de la Haye, said he was happy to see the large number of persons who have turned out. He added that the main target of this project is to get persons on board to search and destroy specifically the aedes aegypti mosquitoes and stressed the need for all persons to participate. We started here he said, because St. Catherine is a high index area and we have to destroy these breeding sites now especially because our nation is also in high alert for dengue. He urged all citizens to take this operation seriously and take all the necessary precautions.
Speaking also at the launch, Member of Parliament for East St. Catherine Denise Daley was keen to point out that it was indeed a bold move the St. Catherine Parish Council had taken to introduce this venture to the parish and every effort must be put in place to ensure communities in St. Catherine are cleaned.
Mayor of Spanish Town and Chairman of the St. Catherine Parish Council, Councillor Norman Scott, who chaired the afternoon's proceedings, said he was in full support of taking the cleanup operation to the highest level if it means ridding communities of this much feared mosquito. He said the fact that the Council had already trained 300 persons to do public education and help search and destroy breeding sites says that we do not want to leave any stone unturned. In fact, I am in receipt of (1000) drum covers that were ordered to be distributed to communities within the parish, said Mayor Scott.
Along with members of the Ministry of Health’s team, other participants in the operation included members of the Jamaica Defense Force, Jamaica Constabulary Force, staff members and Councillors of the St. Catherine Parish Council.
