KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Schools across the island remain closed on Friday due to the significant rainfall affecting Jamaica in the wake of a Tropical Storm watch.
In a statement, the Ministry says the move is intended to prioritize the safety of students and staff; schools have also been asked to activate their Education in Emergency Plan, which requires a transition to remote/online classes.
Meanwhile, school administrators have been asked to contact shelter managers to arrange access to bathrooms and other necessary facilities to house evacuees safely, should the need arise.
The light and power company, Jamaica Public Service (JPS), says its teams have been out restoring power supply to customers affected by outages caused by the inclement weather affecting the island.
JPS says the heavy and persistent rains have led to landslides, dislocated poles, and trees coming into contact with power lines, resulting in outages affecting customers in several parishes.
The light and power company says with the expectation of a deterioration in weather conditions; it is anticipating that the power delivery network could be further impacted.
Director of Corporate Communications at JPS. Winsome Callum said crews are in restoration mode, and contractors and other teams are on standby to provide support as needed.
Callum added that the company is positioning materials close to the areas it anticipates will be most affected by the weather system so restoration work can start as soon as possible.
She further explained that worsening weather conditions could impact the pace of restoration, and the company’s technicians will only undertake work when it is safe.
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