Cabinet briefing details Melissa spending, Ebola monitoring and NHF cyber threat

Three Cabinet ministers gave updates at the June 10, 2026 post-Cabinet press briefing, with the session focused heavily on how public money has been used after Hurricane Melissa and on new health and welfare issues before the country.

Finance and Public Service Minister Fayval Williams rejected claims circulating online that travellers cannot enter Jamaica with more than J$100,000. She said arriving passengers must declare US$10,000 or its equivalent on the Enter Jamaica form, while the J$100,000 figure is a law-enforcement threshold used where officers have reason to question a traveller.

Williams also outlined the Government’s $67 billion Melissa-related allocations. She said funding was approved through the third and fourth supplementary estimates, including support for tourism, roads, water, education, health, agriculture, local government, energy, labour and social security. The total included a $24 billion loan to JPS and $10 billion to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for the roof programme.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the health system’s storm response involved more than 604 international medical personnel and over 500 local health workers deployed across affected parishes. He said 96 Jamaicans were rescued from life-threatening injuries, more than 8,900 people were treated at temporary emergency points, and a field hospital was established at Black River High School after Black River Hospital had to be vacated. Tufton said the Government has spent $3.82 billion on repairs to damaged hospitals and health centres, benefiting an estimated 300,000 Jamaicans.

Tufton said Jamaica remains Ebola-free, although nine passengers with travel links to affected countries have been counselled, placed under mandatory self-quarantine and monitored. He said none has shown symptoms. He also disclosed that the National Health Fund had received a hacker threat claiming access to some data, and that the matter was reported to the Office of the Information Commissioner and referred to MOCA.

Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr announced the launch of HARP, the ministry’s Humanitarian Assistance Relief Platform, to validate outstanding Hurricane Melissa roof-support claims. He said the ministry has spent just over $10.03 billion, including $9.5 billion on the roof programme, and will continue field visits, parish office support and direct-deposit processing.