Santo Domingo.- The Government of Jamaica declared this Thursday a state of emergency in all hospitals and ordered the school closures before the imminent arrival of the Tropical Storm Melissawhich continues to gain strength in the Caribbean and could become a hurricane over the weekend, according to forecasts from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States.
He Health Minister Christopher Tuftonannounced the suspension of all hospitalizations and scheduled surgeriesas a preventive measure to free up capacity in medical centers. In addition, he asked families with patients with non-critical conditions to temporarily remove them from hospitals, in order to reserve beds for emergencies related to the meteorological phenomenon.
Tufton indicated that the national emergency center has already been activated and that a contingency plan coordinated with regional health authorities. In total, 702 health professionals They were deployed in the different parishes of the island to guarantee a quick response to possible incidents.
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Education suspends teaching throughout the country
He Jamaica Ministry of Education confirmed the suspension of classes in all educational institutionsboth public and private, with the aim of protect students and teaching staff during the passage of the tropical system.
Melissa advances through the Caribbean
According to the most recent report of the NHCtropical storm Melissa was located at 345 kilometers southeast of Kingston (Jamaica) already 440 kilometers southwest of Port-au-Prince (Haiti). Presents sustained winds of 85 km/h and move towards the northwest at 7 km/hstaying close to Haiti, Jamaica and eastern Cuba during the next few days.
The agency warned that the system could strengthen until reaching major hurricane status this weekend, generating heavy rain, gusts of wind and dangerous storm surge in the central arc of the Caribbean.
Effects in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
In the Dominican Republicthe rains associated with Melissa caused the interruption of drinking water service to more than 647,000 peopleafter affecting several aqueducts, the sector authorities reported.
In Haitiauthorities remain on alert for possible floods and landslides in vulnerable areas.
Melissa the past was formed Tuesday and since then it has shown rapid strengthening. Regional meteorological services maintain tropical storm and hurricane warnings and alerts in various parts of the Caribbean, while governments intensify prevention and response measures in the face of the advance of the system.
With the declaration of emergency, Jamaica prepares to face one of the most significant weather events of the seasonprioritizing the safety of its population and the operation of essential services.
